Read This Book . . .

Razia Mirza grew up in a working class neighborhood of Corona in Queens during the 1980s and ’90s. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Pakistan, finding community with other Pakistani Muslim families. But Razia chafes against her parents’ traditional values, wanting more choices for her life.

With such a close-knit community, there’s plenty of interpersonal drama. But when the drama comes to her family, Razia loses her best friend as the adults argue amongst themselves and refuse to let the girls remain friends. Razia loves school, but the many families in her community question whether girls need school at all. Back in Pakistan, Razia’s mother never received the education that she wanted, so she becomes determined that Razia receive an education.

Eventually, Razia is accepted into a special high school in Manhattan. There, Razia begins to realize there are ways of living that she never even dreamed of, and she begins to wonder what her future might hold. If she doesn’t follow the traditional life of her parents, what might her life have in store?

Razia’s story is an incredible coming-of-age tale of a queer girl discouraged from even thinking of how her life might be different. But there’s also a deep sense of love that she has for family and community. For years, she tries to find a way to have both her family in her life and be true to who she is and the people she loves.

Author Bushra Rehman performs the audiobook with such heart and deeply felt emotion. I listened to the whole novel in a single day — I just couldn’t stop listening! Razia’s character has so much depth. Roses, in the Mouth of the Lion is just a stunning novel all around.