Writers of the South Asian diaspora, including Jhumpa Lahiri, Khaled Hosseini, Mohsin Hamid and Salman Rushdie, have tenderly explored South Asian culture and consciousness in their work. Several young adult authors have crafted equally rich and compelling novels about South Asian teenagers, whose cares, conflicts, friendships and dreams are influenced by their ties to the subcontinent. These novels go beyond South Asian stereotypes to capture how culture impacts character and community, how humor and grace build bridges of understanding and how no one’s parents understand what they’re going through—no matter where they hail from.
With universal themes, these eight novels will enthrall any reader who wonders how a person’s heritage shapes her identity:
1. Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
Abdel-Fattah tells the story of 16-year-old Amal, who doesn’t care what people think when she starts wearing her hijab full-time. In this touching, hilarious novel, Amal realizes that no one’s acceptance of her faith matters more than her own.
2. American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar
Akhtar’s novel features a sweet, sensitive character in Hayat Shah. A Pakistani teen living in Wisconsin, Hayat finds his anxiety over his parents’ constant fighting lightened by the arrival of his mother’s best friend Mina, who encourages his interest in studying the Quran.
3. Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos
In Budhos’ Ask Me No Questions, 14-year-old Muslim Bangladeshi Nadira lives with her family in New York on an expired visa. After 9/11, fear and suspicion of terrorism threaten to derail her dreams and split her family apart.
