Review of Salt and Pepper

[Dalia Chf]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Salt and Pepper" by Maria Akhanji.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Salt and Pepper by Maria Akhanji is the story of a British Bangladeshi Muslim woman who ends up trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage. Ranya lived with her older brother and that made her feel like a burden. An arranged marriage to a seemingly great guy named Fahim seems like the perfect solution to leave her brother’s house. Sadly, that ends up being the wrong choice for her. She winds up in a loveless marriage where her sole role is being a maid to her in-laws.

This was honestly a masterpiece of a book. It depicts the emotional rollercoaster that Ranya lives in her day-to-day life and how she tries to overcome this difficult situation. Maria Akhanji doesn’t try to soften the issues that she describes in this novel. We can almost feel Ranya’s helplessness, sadness and anger through the words of the author. That is a very rare thing to find in a book and it was definitely the thing I liked the most about Salt and Pepper. Akhanji really succeeds in her goal to emphasize how some Muslim women are subjected to these unrealistic expectations.

Conversely, I think there is one thing that makes these kinds of books slightly problematic. As a Muslim female that has lived her entire life in Europe, I can definitely tell you that this is not the norm. Muslim families don’t live this way and there isn’t any kind of disrespect towards women. This is a reality that has more to do with culture than religion and I fear that people could get the wrong idea from this book. But that’s just my opinion.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It’s a very touching story that can teach you a lot if you read it with an open mind. I applaud Maria Akhanji for her beautiful writing which made the book flow very smoothly. The novel is without doubt professionally edited. I didn’t find any kind of errors in it. However, I must warn readers that there are a few profanities in this book. Proceed at your own risk.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Ranya’s experience since it is a harsh reality that many women have to deal with on a daily basis. It is always a good thing to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. This book makes you feel emotions that are impossible to write down in a review. You have to read it to be able to experience it. I strongly recommend you go buy it right away! It’s a must-read!

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Salt and Pepper
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