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The Daughters of Rosebud
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26In a heart-wrenching debut, author Sonny Buttar delivers a multigenerational family saga at once haunting and hopeful.
Teacher Salma Chaudhry lives a quiet life, avoiding all attachments. But after a call from her estranged father, the protective shell she lives within starts to crack and the trauma she's buried for eighteen years emerges.
Salma and her older sister Asma were inseparable growing up in small-town Rosebud. While Asma was bold and fearless, Salma tried to keep the peace in their fractured family. But amid their mother's decline and their parents’ rigid expectations, Asma makes a choice that tears the family apart. The fallout changes everything—and forces Salma to choose between her sister and her parents.
Salma has spent years trying to forget. But as she recollects her past and considers reconciliation with her father, a young student opens a surprising connection to Asma's past. In finally facing her history, Salma finds the bravery to love and hope again.
The Daughters of Rosebud is a powerful exploration of sisterhood, family loyalty, and the courage it takes to heal.
Teacher Salma Chaudhry lives a quiet life, avoiding all attachments. But after a call from her estranged father, the protective shell she lives within starts to crack and the trauma she's buried for eighteen years emerges.
Salma and her older sister Asma were inseparable growing up in small-town Rosebud. While Asma was bold and fearless, Salma tried to keep the peace in their fractured family. But amid their mother's decline and their parents’ rigid expectations, Asma makes a choice that tears the family apart. The fallout changes everything—and forces Salma to choose between her sister and her parents.
Salma has spent years trying to forget. But as she recollects her past and considers reconciliation with her father, a young student opens a surprising connection to Asma's past. In finally facing her history, Salma finds the bravery to love and hope again.
The Daughters of Rosebud is a powerful exploration of sisterhood, family loyalty, and the courage it takes to heal.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 13, 2026
About the author
Sonny Buttar
1 book23 followersSonny Buttar was born in Pakistan and raised in England and the American Midwest. The Daughters of Rosebud is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 18, 2026
“The idea of growing up somehow didn’t mean to actually grow; it meant to be. To be the person our parents wanted us to be. To be the person they expected us to be. A white canvas on which they could project the vision — the least threatening version of us — that was the most palatable.”
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was an absolutely breathtaking (at times, literally) and stunning debut. The Daughters of Rosebud tenderly unravels a thread that many of us are hesitant to pull at — the lived experience of a multi-generational immigrant family. Utilizing a dual timeline, Sonny Buttar welcomes us into the story of two sisters, Asma and Salma, who, like their parents, were born in Pakistan, but who, unlike their parents, were raised in America.
While Asma, a college freshman, finds every opportunity to rebel, to push back, and to question the “old ways,” Salma, the little sister left behind, tries her best to keep the peace with her parents while supporting the identity that Asma is forging. Then, a choice made at the height of Asma’s becoming shatters the very foundation of the family, and Sonny allows the reader to watch as Salma makes her own determination about who she will be, what of her history she will choose to reckon with, and what a life of hope can look like once she allows herself to heal.
I quite literally could not put this book down. I have never read such a profound, beautiful, and haunting portrait of the immigrant experience — specifically the dissonance experienced by those in younger generations, who possess the innate desire to please their parents (and often the duty to act as their parents’ guide) while also growing up in a society with divergent values and new opportunities. I felt so wholly entangled within this family that I felt the crescendo of this novel deep within my bones.
As other reviewers have noted, this novel does not shy away from exploring physical and sexual violence, and it was certainly difficult to read at times. But I think that is exactly the point. And I think that it is my responsibility as a white reader to not turn away from the discomfort, and rather to lean in; to ask questions; to be curious about systems and cultures that are unfamiliar; to join Asma and Salma as they discover where they came from, what pieces still fit, and which chapters they will rewrite.
Had the ending been fleshed out just a little more, this would have undoubtedly been a 5-star read for me. I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was an absolutely breathtaking (at times, literally) and stunning debut. The Daughters of Rosebud tenderly unravels a thread that many of us are hesitant to pull at — the lived experience of a multi-generational immigrant family. Utilizing a dual timeline, Sonny Buttar welcomes us into the story of two sisters, Asma and Salma, who, like their parents, were born in Pakistan, but who, unlike their parents, were raised in America.
While Asma, a college freshman, finds every opportunity to rebel, to push back, and to question the “old ways,” Salma, the little sister left behind, tries her best to keep the peace with her parents while supporting the identity that Asma is forging. Then, a choice made at the height of Asma’s becoming shatters the very foundation of the family, and Sonny allows the reader to watch as Salma makes her own determination about who she will be, what of her history she will choose to reckon with, and what a life of hope can look like once she allows herself to heal.
I quite literally could not put this book down. I have never read such a profound, beautiful, and haunting portrait of the immigrant experience — specifically the dissonance experienced by those in younger generations, who possess the innate desire to please their parents (and often the duty to act as their parents’ guide) while also growing up in a society with divergent values and new opportunities. I felt so wholly entangled within this family that I felt the crescendo of this novel deep within my bones.
As other reviewers have noted, this novel does not shy away from exploring physical and sexual violence, and it was certainly difficult to read at times. But I think that is exactly the point. And I think that it is my responsibility as a white reader to not turn away from the discomfort, and rather to lean in; to ask questions; to be curious about systems and cultures that are unfamiliar; to join Asma and Salma as they discover where they came from, what pieces still fit, and which chapters they will rewrite.
Had the ending been fleshed out just a little more, this would have undoubtedly been a 5-star read for me. I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this!
May 15, 2026
(Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.)
What a debut for Sonny Buttar! This is a heartbreaking yet beautiful story of two sisters in a Pakistani family who immigrate to the United States in the 1970s. While Salma and Asma's father hopes to give his family a better life in America, he doesn't want to allow his daughters to experience the same freedoms as other children around them. Rather, he seeks to keep them under his control, bound by the religious expectations he believes all women should uphold.
Growing up in the small town of Rosebud, the two girls were each other's safe place from the rigid expectations of their parents. Asma, the older sister, is carefree and fearless, longing more than anything to be her own person, free from the grip of her parents' control. Salma, the younger of the two, feels torn between wanting to please her parents and keep the peace in their family, while also recognizing the toxicity of their behavior. When Asma makes a choice that shatters the rules and regulations her parents have sought so hard to maintain, their family is never the same.
Eighteen years later, Salma is still trying to recover from the trauma of her fractured family when she receives a call from her dying father. She is faced with the decision of whether to face him after all the harm he has caused or continue in the life she has made for herself.
Told from the perspectives of both Salma and Asma, The Daughters of Rosebud draws readers in and causes them to feel the inner turmoil of the sisters and the immense pressure they experienced under their parents' expectations. I could feel my own heart racing and anxiety rising as the sisters' story unfolded, both in Asma knowing and feeling her parents disapproval, and in Salma carrying the full burden of their parents' expectations as the "good" daughter, the compliant one.
I'm surprised more people aren't talking about this beautiful work of literary fiction. I hope Sonny Buttar receives the recognition she deserves for writing such a heartbreaking and eye-opening novel.
Content considerations:
-Occasional strong language
-Religious oppression
-Multiple same-sex relationships, one of which is central to the novel, but still something to consider before reading.
-Sexual, emotional, and physical abuse
-Some sexual thoughts and dialogue present, but intimacy is closed door; one kiss described
What a debut for Sonny Buttar! This is a heartbreaking yet beautiful story of two sisters in a Pakistani family who immigrate to the United States in the 1970s. While Salma and Asma's father hopes to give his family a better life in America, he doesn't want to allow his daughters to experience the same freedoms as other children around them. Rather, he seeks to keep them under his control, bound by the religious expectations he believes all women should uphold.
Growing up in the small town of Rosebud, the two girls were each other's safe place from the rigid expectations of their parents. Asma, the older sister, is carefree and fearless, longing more than anything to be her own person, free from the grip of her parents' control. Salma, the younger of the two, feels torn between wanting to please her parents and keep the peace in their family, while also recognizing the toxicity of their behavior. When Asma makes a choice that shatters the rules and regulations her parents have sought so hard to maintain, their family is never the same.
Eighteen years later, Salma is still trying to recover from the trauma of her fractured family when she receives a call from her dying father. She is faced with the decision of whether to face him after all the harm he has caused or continue in the life she has made for herself.
Told from the perspectives of both Salma and Asma, The Daughters of Rosebud draws readers in and causes them to feel the inner turmoil of the sisters and the immense pressure they experienced under their parents' expectations. I could feel my own heart racing and anxiety rising as the sisters' story unfolded, both in Asma knowing and feeling her parents disapproval, and in Salma carrying the full burden of their parents' expectations as the "good" daughter, the compliant one.
I'm surprised more people aren't talking about this beautiful work of literary fiction. I hope Sonny Buttar receives the recognition she deserves for writing such a heartbreaking and eye-opening novel.
Content considerations:
-Occasional strong language
-Religious oppression
-Multiple same-sex relationships, one of which is central to the novel, but still something to consider before reading.
-Sexual, emotional, and physical abuse
-Some sexual thoughts and dialogue present, but intimacy is closed door; one kiss described
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Sonny Buttar, and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
From the very first few chapters of The Daughters of Rosebud, I was completely pulled into Salma and Asma’s world. Sonny Buttar crafts a deeply emotional and immersive family story that explores sisterhood, identity, generational trauma, and the impossible weight of expectations placed upon immigrant children trying to navigate two very different worlds.
This is not always an easy read. The novel tackles difficult subjects including religious oppression, emotional and physical abuse, and the lasting scars that family conflict can leave behind. There were moments that genuinely hurt to read, but that emotional heaviness is also what made the story impossible to put down. You can feel the years of pain, silence, and fractured love woven through every interaction, and I constantly found myself hoping these characters could somehow find their way back to one another.
What stood out most to me was the relationship between the sisters. Salma and Asma feel incredibly real — messy, loving, frustrating, loyal, and deeply connected even when life pulls them apart. Their individual journeys are heartbreaking in different ways, and the dual timeline structure helps slowly unravel how their family reached such a painful breaking point. While the timeline occasionally required close attention, the emotional payoff was absolutely worth it.
Sonny Buttar also does a beautiful job exploring the immigrant experience and the tension between cultural expectations and personal identity. The novel never feels preachy or overly dramatic; instead, it allows the characters’ choices, fears, and heartbreaks to speak for themselves. By the end, I cared far more deeply about this family than I expected to when I first started reading.
Heartbreaking, thoughtful, and emotionally powerful, The Daughters of Rosebud is a memorable debut that lingers long after the final page. Sonny Buttar truly made this story stick with me.
Kudos to Sonny Buttar for such a moving and impactful novel.
From the very first few chapters of The Daughters of Rosebud, I was completely pulled into Salma and Asma’s world. Sonny Buttar crafts a deeply emotional and immersive family story that explores sisterhood, identity, generational trauma, and the impossible weight of expectations placed upon immigrant children trying to navigate two very different worlds.
This is not always an easy read. The novel tackles difficult subjects including religious oppression, emotional and physical abuse, and the lasting scars that family conflict can leave behind. There were moments that genuinely hurt to read, but that emotional heaviness is also what made the story impossible to put down. You can feel the years of pain, silence, and fractured love woven through every interaction, and I constantly found myself hoping these characters could somehow find their way back to one another.
What stood out most to me was the relationship between the sisters. Salma and Asma feel incredibly real — messy, loving, frustrating, loyal, and deeply connected even when life pulls them apart. Their individual journeys are heartbreaking in different ways, and the dual timeline structure helps slowly unravel how their family reached such a painful breaking point. While the timeline occasionally required close attention, the emotional payoff was absolutely worth it.
Sonny Buttar also does a beautiful job exploring the immigrant experience and the tension between cultural expectations and personal identity. The novel never feels preachy or overly dramatic; instead, it allows the characters’ choices, fears, and heartbreaks to speak for themselves. By the end, I cared far more deeply about this family than I expected to when I first started reading.
Heartbreaking, thoughtful, and emotionally powerful, The Daughters of Rosebud is a memorable debut that lingers long after the final page. Sonny Buttar truly made this story stick with me.
Kudos to Sonny Buttar for such a moving and impactful novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Sonny Buttar tells a heartbreaking and emotional multigenerational family saga in her debut book, The Daughters of Rosebud. A dual-timeline story told by two sisters in a Pakistani family who immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. Salma and Asma, grow up under the strict control of their traditional parents while trying to embrace and assimilate into American culture. While rebellious and independent Asma longs for freedom, dutiful Salma struggles between loyalty to her family while recognizing their toxic expectations and control. After a life-changing event, Salma must confront her painful past years later when her dying father contacts her. Told through both sisters’ perspectives, The Daughters of Rosebud explores family, trauma, cultural and religious expectations, and sisterhood with emotional depth and intensity.
This was not an easy read for me. It is emotionally intense, yet beautifully done. I could feel the emotions, and tension the two sisters were dealing with, while loving their relationship. It handles some tough topics of religious oppression, domestic and sexual abuse, family conflict, and the immigrant experience. The bond between the two sisters is what drives this story, focusing on their authenticity, struggles and their love for one another. The dual timeline slowly reveals the family’s painful history, leading to a heart-wrenching yet poignant ending, that will stay with me for awhile.
The dual timeline was confusing at times, jumping back and forth even within the same paragraph. Also, two chapters were told from the father’s
perspective. They came later in the book and just seemed odd and out of place.
Sonny Buttar tells a heartbreaking and emotional multigenerational family saga in her debut book, The Daughters of Rosebud. A dual-timeline story told by two sisters in a Pakistani family who immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. Salma and Asma, grow up under the strict control of their traditional parents while trying to embrace and assimilate into American culture. While rebellious and independent Asma longs for freedom, dutiful Salma struggles between loyalty to her family while recognizing their toxic expectations and control. After a life-changing event, Salma must confront her painful past years later when her dying father contacts her. Told through both sisters’ perspectives, The Daughters of Rosebud explores family, trauma, cultural and religious expectations, and sisterhood with emotional depth and intensity.
This was not an easy read for me. It is emotionally intense, yet beautifully done. I could feel the emotions, and tension the two sisters were dealing with, while loving their relationship. It handles some tough topics of religious oppression, domestic and sexual abuse, family conflict, and the immigrant experience. The bond between the two sisters is what drives this story, focusing on their authenticity, struggles and their love for one another. The dual timeline slowly reveals the family’s painful history, leading to a heart-wrenching yet poignant ending, that will stay with me for awhile.
The dual timeline was confusing at times, jumping back and forth even within the same paragraph. Also, two chapters were told from the father’s
perspective. They came later in the book and just seemed odd and out of place.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was initially drawn to The Daughters of Rosebud by its promise of a multigenerational family story rooted in immigration and resilience. While the premise is compelling, I found that the content ultimately wasn’t a good fit for me. The book includes strong language, several same sex relationships, and multiple forms of abuse—emotional, physical, and sexual. These themes, while meaningful to many readers, did not resonate with my personal reading preferences, and values.
I know many readers will appreciate the depth and complexity the author brings to these characters and their experiences, but this particular story wasn’t one I connected with.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
I know many readers will appreciate the depth and complexity the author brings to these characters and their experiences, but this particular story wasn’t one I connected with.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
From the first few chapters of The Daughters of Rosebud, I was in. I felt completely pulled into Salma and Asma’s world.
The subject matter can be heavy at times, and there were definitely moments that were difficult to read. But that’s also what made it impossible to put down. You can feel the weight of everything this family has been carrying for years, and I kept wanting to know if they would ever find a way back to each other.
By the end, I cared more than I expected. Sonny Buttar really made this one stick.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The subject matter can be heavy at times, and there were definitely moments that were difficult to read. But that’s also what made it impossible to put down. You can feel the weight of everything this family has been carrying for years, and I kept wanting to know if they would ever find a way back to each other.
By the end, I cared more than I expected. Sonny Buttar really made this one stick.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sooooo slow. Dnf 54%. The mystery no longer interests me.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews