Ex-best friends, Tiwa and Said, must work together to save their Islamic Center from demolition, in this romantic story of rekindling and rebuilding by award-winning authors Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé & Adiba Jaigirdar!
The town of New Crosshaven has it all—even its own infamous love story.
These days, Said Hossain spends most of his time away at boarding school. But when his favorite hometown librarian, Ms. Barnes, dies, he must return to New Crosshaven for her funeral and for the summer. Too bad being home makes it a lot harder to avoid facing his ex–best friend, Tiwa Olatunji, or facing the daunting task of telling his Bangladeshi parents that he would rather be an artist than a doctor.
Tiwa doesn't understand what made Said start ignoring her, but it's probably that fancy boarding school of his. Though he's unexpectedly staying at home through the summer, she's determined to take a page from him and pretend he doesn't exist. Besides, she has more than enough going on anyway, between grieving her broken family and helping her mother throw the upcoming Eid celebration at the Islamic Center—a place that means so much to Tiwa.
But when the Islamic Center accidentally catches fire, it turns out the mayor plans to demolish the center entirely. Things are still tense between the ex-friends, but Tiwa needs Said's help if there's any hope of changing the mayor's mind, and on top of everything, Said needs a project to submit to art school (unbeknownst to anyone).
Will all their efforts be enough to save the Islamic Center, save Eid, and maybe even save their relationship?
A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel & Friends.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 4, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781250343390
- File size: 241606 KB
- Duration: 08:23:20
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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April 1, 2024
The week before summer break, junior Said Hossain is pulled out of class at his prestigious Virginia boarding school by his older sister Safiyah, who shares devastating news: Said’s beloved childhood librarian and mentor, Ms. Barnes, has died and they must return home to New Crosshaven, Vt., for the funeral. There, Said encounters his former best friend Tiwa Olatunji; their simmering distaste for each other has only grown in the years they’ve spent apart. But when New Crosshaven’s Islamic center catches fire the day of Ms. Barnes’s funeral, Said and Tiwa set aside their feud to try and raise the money and support to both restore the building and throw an amazing Eid celebration. Their well-intentioned plan becomes complicated by family drama, a ticking clock, Safiyah’s sisterly meddling, an unsupportive mayor, Said and Tiwa’s joint ownership of Ms. Barnes’s cat, and the teens’ annoyingly amorous feelings. Via flashbacks to Eids past, Àbíké-Íyímídé (Where Sleeping Girls Lie) and Jaigirdar (A Million to One) craft a lighthearted rom-com that’s bookended by potent depictions of cultural customs, personal revelations, past hurts, laugh-out-loud moments, and a satisfying romantic conclusion. Said is Bengali American and Tiwa is Nigerian American; both are Muslim. Ages 14–up.
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