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Palimpsest
She learned the language of fear long before she found the words for love.
In her haunted house, her body never belonged to her. She fled, but the damage dictated every step she took into the world.
Traded into a marriage at seventeen, the strange boy became the first person to offer her a gentleness that asked for nothing in return. His kindness was the steam from a warm cup of tea, the smile of a saviour, and a hand that remained open rather than clenched. She waited for the blow until, slowly, she realized that peace could be real. Together, they crossed borders and shed lives like old skin, the wreckage folded deep within their luggage. In temporary homes and through the cacophony of foreign tongues, she built a life out of bricks thrown at her. Three lives were brought into the world as she drifted further from it. Each birth was out of love, yet each was followed by a descent into a fractured reality. She became a palimpsest of a woman, whose new life was written directly over the old, where the ink of her present joy could not fully hide the jagged, bleeding lines of her past.
This is the portrait of Maya Arain.
In her haunted house, her body never belonged to her. She fled, but the damage dictated every step she took into the world.
Traded into a marriage at seventeen, the strange boy became the first person to offer her a gentleness that asked for nothing in return. His kindness was the steam from a warm cup of tea, the smile of a saviour, and a hand that remained open rather than clenched. She waited for the blow until, slowly, she realized that peace could be real. Together, they crossed borders and shed lives like old skin, the wreckage folded deep within their luggage. In temporary homes and through the cacophony of foreign tongues, she built a life out of bricks thrown at her. Three lives were brought into the world as she drifted further from it. Each birth was out of love, yet each was followed by a descent into a fractured reality. She became a palimpsest of a woman, whose new life was written directly over the old, where the ink of her present joy could not fully hide the jagged, bleeding lines of her past.
This is the portrait of Maya Arain.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 26, 2026
About the author
Noor Sasha
4 books302 followersI’m Noor Sasha, a twenty-something-year-old, and I write about love sometimes.
Instagram: @authornoorsasha
Twitter: @authornoorsasha
TikTok: @authornoorsasha
Goodreads: Noor Sasha
Instagram: @authornoorsasha
Twitter: @authornoorsasha
TikTok: @authornoorsasha
Goodreads: Noor Sasha
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 28, 2026
5 stars : ̗̀➛ everytime I sat down to read this book it felt like I was sitting down to intentionally make myself cry <3
Palimpsest follows the story of Maya Arain, an abused and mistreated girl who finds herself marrying a soft, loving boy she never expected to, and moving to a new country, where she's challenged in every way possible: financially, emotionally and mentally. It's a story of love, trauma, and extreme difficulty (no joke Maya goes through so fucking much).
Oh. My. God. This book was phenomenal. It was a BIG anticipated read— and just so worth the wait. Immediately, we're dropped into the story, which takes place in Lahore, Pakistan: the atmosphere is set, the tone is set, and my brain just melted into the story so well. Maya's perspective was so heartbreaking but REAL and representative for so many people out there. I just kept reading and reading and devouring it icl. What I admired the most about this book is the depiction of Yusuf and Maya's struggle of moving to the US as immigrants and the challenges they faced. They were so real, true, raw and authentic. They reminded me of people in my life and I just connected so fucking well 😭.
Yusuf, oh my love. He was the husband Maya deserved. So healthy, so supportive, so in love with his wife. Realistically, he is the standard, no joke. He was so serious, committed and devoted. He looked out for her, invested so much of himself into their marriage and genuinely saw Maya as his partner. He always knew he had her and likewise. Their harmony was a beautiful thing to read ♥ Seeing all their kids be born 😭 🥹 brb while I pass away :(((( so so so fucking cute.
A big theme in this book is trauma and mental health. Maya is haunted so badly by her abusers and everyone who has hurted her in some way, shape or form from her past and it's just devastating how it follows her. The PTSD, Post Partum Depression & Psychosis, was utterly devastating to read. Tears after fucking tears. I only cried like this during Manacled/Alchemised. This book is psychotic in a way that makes you think— why would someone write this? just to make me suffer? is that it? and the way her perspective nearly changes everything that we knew about her from previous books? how it literally changes the way we percieve so many scenes that mention her?
i'm ruined.
Sitting down to beta read this book every evening was just my own version of a cry fest by the end of it. And what was even worse was the beautiful writing 😭 I don't have any quotes to share but there's this one segment that has STAYED with me since I finished it a week ago. It was just such a heartbreaking, raw, beautiful book. I'm not sure if there will be an epilogue but if there isn't just know there is zero closure in this book. It's the type of masterpiece that leaves you with a hollow heart that takes time to be refilled again. (I couldn't look at the book cover for a couple days) I nearly cried on the bus the next day 😭. There's so much regret, so much of 'it could have been different', so much 'what if' and just unspoken words. It really fucks you over to a point where I'd feel bad recommending this to a friend after how it made me feel.
Long story short: I survived.
Long story short .2: it was a master piece.
Long story short .3: you should read it!!!
5 fat ass stars
Thank you so much Noor for giving me the abolute honour of beta reading this masterpiece <3
note: if you've read Noor's debut series: The Suntower Series, you'll find that she appears in that series. You don't need to read those books before this one as this one takes place waaay before The Suntower Series.
pre read: "HAND IT OVER!!!!" (she says in a cute, non aggressive way) (please).
Palimpsest follows the story of Maya Arain, an abused and mistreated girl who finds herself marrying a soft, loving boy she never expected to, and moving to a new country, where she's challenged in every way possible: financially, emotionally and mentally. It's a story of love, trauma, and extreme difficulty (no joke Maya goes through so fucking much).
Oh. My. God. This book was phenomenal. It was a BIG anticipated read— and just so worth the wait. Immediately, we're dropped into the story, which takes place in Lahore, Pakistan: the atmosphere is set, the tone is set, and my brain just melted into the story so well. Maya's perspective was so heartbreaking but REAL and representative for so many people out there. I just kept reading and reading and devouring it icl. What I admired the most about this book is the depiction of Yusuf and Maya's struggle of moving to the US as immigrants and the challenges they faced. They were so real, true, raw and authentic. They reminded me of people in my life and I just connected so fucking well 😭.
Yusuf, oh my love. He was the husband Maya deserved. So healthy, so supportive, so in love with his wife. Realistically, he is the standard, no joke. He was so serious, committed and devoted. He looked out for her, invested so much of himself into their marriage and genuinely saw Maya as his partner. He always knew he had her and likewise. Their harmony was a beautiful thing to read ♥ Seeing all their kids be born 😭 🥹 brb while I pass away :(((( so so so fucking cute.
A big theme in this book is trauma and mental health. Maya is haunted so badly by her abusers and everyone who has hurted her in some way, shape or form from her past and it's just devastating how it follows her. The PTSD, Post Partum Depression & Psychosis, was utterly devastating to read. Tears after fucking tears. I only cried like this during Manacled/Alchemised. This book is psychotic in a way that makes you think— why would someone write this? just to make me suffer? is that it? and the way her perspective nearly changes everything that we knew about her from previous books? how it literally changes the way we percieve so many scenes that mention her?
i'm ruined.
Sitting down to beta read this book every evening was just my own version of a cry fest by the end of it. And what was even worse was the beautiful writing 😭 I don't have any quotes to share but there's this one segment that has STAYED with me since I finished it a week ago. It was just such a heartbreaking, raw, beautiful book. I'm not sure if there will be an epilogue but if there isn't just know there is zero closure in this book. It's the type of masterpiece that leaves you with a hollow heart that takes time to be refilled again. (I couldn't look at the book cover for a couple days) I nearly cried on the bus the next day 😭. There's so much regret, so much of 'it could have been different', so much 'what if' and just unspoken words. It really fucks you over to a point where I'd feel bad recommending this to a friend after how it made me feel.
Long story short: I survived.
Long story short .2: it was a master piece.
Long story short .3: you should read it!!!
5 fat ass stars
Thank you so much Noor for giving me the abolute honour of beta reading this masterpiece <3
note: if you've read Noor's debut series: The Suntower Series, you'll find that she appears in that series. You don't need to read those books before this one as this one takes place waaay before The Suntower Series.
pre read: "HAND IT OVER!!!!" (she says in a cute, non aggressive way) (please).
June 28, 2026
this book actually destroyed me. i went into it thinking it would be a sweet love story and give us some context about a character we see in one of noor's previous books...but no. this hurt so bad in so many different ways i genuinely wasn't expecting.
maya had to go through so, so much, and oh my god yusuf 😭😭😭 he was simply the perfect guy. their story felt so real, and even seeing some of the characters from the sun tower series later on in the book was so nostalgic. it was incredible getting to experience everything from maya's perspective.
so often south asian women are villainised for the way they are when they get older, and people ignore the struggles they went through to build a life for their families. this story really explores that, and honestly i cried through about 60% of this book.
thank you so much to noor for letting me beta read this book. i still think about it even after all these weeks. please, please check the content warnings before reading!! otherwise, enjoy...with a box of tissues by your side x
maya had to go through so, so much, and oh my god yusuf 😭😭😭 he was simply the perfect guy. their story felt so real, and even seeing some of the characters from the sun tower series later on in the book was so nostalgic. it was incredible getting to experience everything from maya's perspective.
so often south asian women are villainised for the way they are when they get older, and people ignore the struggles they went through to build a life for their families. this story really explores that, and honestly i cried through about 60% of this book.
thank you so much to noor for letting me beta read this book. i still think about it even after all these weeks. please, please check the content warnings before reading!! otherwise, enjoy...with a box of tissues by your side x
Read
May 20, 2026The world isn't ready to meet Maya and her unforgettable and life-altering story. I will need the rest of my life to recover from this book.
This is Noor Sasha's BIG ONE!
Make sure to add it to your tbr and mark your calendars!
Thank you to Noor for trusting me to beta read, this heartbreaking and vulnerable story.
Such a beautiful story that reminds us that even through trauma and absolute darkness, it is love that keeps us persevering.
This is Noor Sasha's BIG ONE!
Make sure to add it to your tbr and mark your calendars!
Thank you to Noor for trusting me to beta read, this heartbreaking and vulnerable story.
Such a beautiful story that reminds us that even through trauma and absolute darkness, it is love that keeps us persevering.
June 29, 2026
I’m…stunned. Speechless.
There is a particular grief to growing up as a daughter in a society like South Asian ones. It’s always underscored by sacrifice, by growing up faster than you ever deserved, the lingering guilt and fear that part of you will always be conditioned to accept only what’s given — never to fight for what should’ve been yours all along. It’s something I identified with as soon as I opened the book, even though our stories are very different.
The story follows the life of Maya Arain — a girl, a wife, a woman, a mother, in that very order. Maya has been abused her whole life, her mother punishing her for existing for years and years. She has not grown up with love and care, and doesn’t know how to accept those things. It’s only in the aftermath of a horrifying night that she finds herself in the home of Yusuf Arain, who marries her in a bid to protect her.
This ends up setting her life on a completely new path — one wrought with so much love and respect that she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself. She and Yusuf are only just 17/18 when they get married, so as they grow, they grow with each other, binding together into one entity so strong that it takes them abroad, and through the challenges of life together.
Maya and Yusuf have family support up to a point, but they struggle to put food on the table and even support the two of them. They work together as equals, trying to navigate people who take advantage of them, of new traditions and cultures and languages, trying to keep their head up. Then later, they begin to start their own family, each child bringing with a new set of challenges to the family — not because of the child themselves, but because of what Maya and Yusuf are learning about themselves as parents. Each child represents a new fear of Maya’s, of becoming her own mother in the mirror, and of failing her children — enough so that it almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy by the end.
Noor Sasha makes no effort to hide the struggles of being an immigrant, of raising children in a foreign country, and most of all, of raising children with Muslim names in the aftermath of 9/11. The lingering effects of brain injuries, the PTSD that we so rarely define in Pakistani women that bear the scars of parental/societal abuse (often dismissed as just the way girls are raised), the struggles of being postpartum, and the devastating effects these things leave on a whole family — all of it is discussed in almost morbid detail. That is the true light of this book. It’s raw, and real, and if nothing else, that becomes an instant point of connection between the reader and Maya.
Outside of this, the romance between Maya and Yusuf made me feel so hopeful. Yusuf is quite literally an ideal, a rarity among many men (at least in my experience) — he supports and equals his wife to himself ever since he took her hand at the age of 18. Yusuf becomes the anchor of this book from his very first entry, much like he becomes Maya's. His happiness is linked to hers, and even though we don’t get his POV, you can feel his adoration and respect for Maya in her rendition of him throughout the whole book. He never tolerates disrespect for her, often becoming uncharacteristically angry at anyone who dares look at her wrong — whether that be a stranger or her own family. Even when they’re suffering through their worst times, they stay bound tightly, their romance burning slowly and developing over the years, and it’s enough to make a reader weep with joy for her. Maybe that bond is the reason the story, much like Maya, fragments . While it did take me a second to get back into it after that point, I think it fits the style of the book, including the fears Maya had carried with her through the whole story.
Before I picked this up, I didn’t realize that this book is related to the Sun Tower Series — I’ve only read the first book in it, so I didn’t even get to Maya’s children yet. However, I would be curious to go back and read that series to see what I think, now that I have this insight into the Khan-Arain extended family. You don’t have to read those books first, as this one takes place years and years before that, but it’s good to know.
This book is a love letter to the women who became more than the garden they were raised in, and almost begs for them to live, to become more than what society has shaped them to be. It’s a love letter to the women who’ve spent their lives becoming the villain, no matter how unwittingly. This is Maya Arain’s story, and one that will linger with you, long after you turn the last page.
I was provided a copy of this by Noor Sasha in exchange for an honest review
There is a particular grief to growing up as a daughter in a society like South Asian ones. It’s always underscored by sacrifice, by growing up faster than you ever deserved, the lingering guilt and fear that part of you will always be conditioned to accept only what’s given — never to fight for what should’ve been yours all along. It’s something I identified with as soon as I opened the book, even though our stories are very different.
The story follows the life of Maya Arain — a girl, a wife, a woman, a mother, in that very order. Maya has been abused her whole life, her mother punishing her for existing for years and years. She has not grown up with love and care, and doesn’t know how to accept those things. It’s only in the aftermath of a horrifying night that she finds herself in the home of Yusuf Arain, who marries her in a bid to protect her.
This ends up setting her life on a completely new path — one wrought with so much love and respect that she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself. She and Yusuf are only just 17/18 when they get married, so as they grow, they grow with each other, binding together into one entity so strong that it takes them abroad, and through the challenges of life together.
Maya and Yusuf have family support up to a point, but they struggle to put food on the table and even support the two of them. They work together as equals, trying to navigate people who take advantage of them, of new traditions and cultures and languages, trying to keep their head up. Then later, they begin to start their own family, each child bringing with a new set of challenges to the family — not because of the child themselves, but because of what Maya and Yusuf are learning about themselves as parents. Each child represents a new fear of Maya’s, of becoming her own mother in the mirror, and of failing her children — enough so that it almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy by the end.
Noor Sasha makes no effort to hide the struggles of being an immigrant, of raising children in a foreign country, and most of all, of raising children with Muslim names in the aftermath of 9/11. The lingering effects of brain injuries, the PTSD that we so rarely define in Pakistani women that bear the scars of parental/societal abuse (often dismissed as just the way girls are raised), the struggles of being postpartum, and the devastating effects these things leave on a whole family — all of it is discussed in almost morbid detail. That is the true light of this book. It’s raw, and real, and if nothing else, that becomes an instant point of connection between the reader and Maya.
Outside of this, the romance between Maya and Yusuf made me feel so hopeful. Yusuf is quite literally an ideal, a rarity among many men (at least in my experience) — he supports and equals his wife to himself ever since he took her hand at the age of 18. Yusuf becomes the anchor of this book from his very first entry, much like he becomes Maya's. His happiness is linked to hers, and even though we don’t get his POV, you can feel his adoration and respect for Maya in her rendition of him throughout the whole book. He never tolerates disrespect for her, often becoming uncharacteristically angry at anyone who dares look at her wrong — whether that be a stranger or her own family. Even when they’re suffering through their worst times, they stay bound tightly, their romance burning slowly and developing over the years, and it’s enough to make a reader weep with joy for her. Maybe that bond is the reason the story, much like Maya, fragments . While it did take me a second to get back into it after that point, I think it fits the style of the book, including the fears Maya had carried with her through the whole story.
Before I picked this up, I didn’t realize that this book is related to the Sun Tower Series — I’ve only read the first book in it, so I didn’t even get to Maya’s children yet. However, I would be curious to go back and read that series to see what I think, now that I have this insight into the Khan-Arain extended family. You don’t have to read those books first, as this one takes place years and years before that, but it’s good to know.
This book is a love letter to the women who became more than the garden they were raised in, and almost begs for them to live, to become more than what society has shaped them to be. It’s a love letter to the women who’ve spent their lives becoming the villain, no matter how unwittingly. This is Maya Arain’s story, and one that will linger with you, long after you turn the last page.
I was provided a copy of this by Noor Sasha in exchange for an honest review
June 20, 2026
*SPOILER FREE*
Oh, brother. Where the fuck do I even begin?
In a publishing world of fast-fashion books, recycled tropes, one-dimensional characters, and lack of riveting plot, Palimpsest is the book that we'd all been waiting for. With all my heart, I can say that this story is one of a kind, and the type of literature I had been YEARNING for. There were no tropes, ladies. Just themes upon themes that somehow blended together so perfectly, I was left staring at the wall for ten whole minutes wondering why. Just... why, dude. WHY, WHY, WHY?
For context, if you remember the Sun Tower Series, we were told Maya Arain was your conventional "evil aunt." I’ll admit, I wasn't a big fan of her back then considering her behaviour. But Sasha has done an absolutely incredible job of peeling back the layers and portraying the painful origin behind Maya’s perspective on life. This woman was constantly at war from the age of six until the very end.
The book fearlessly dives into the reality of postpartum psychosis, capturing the vulnerability of motherhood that most authors wouldn't dare to. It delivers a powerful authentic look at the real immigration struggles faced by people of colour living in the West. The imagery for Pakistan in the 80s and 2000s was so vivid I was convinced I was actually there. And tackling the subject of 9/11 through a lens of a Muslim woman/family was done achingly well. Bro, I am sick to my stomach about this one scene in the book especially because I have read Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Zinneerah is just MY GAL. My baby. SKDFNSDKGNDKFGNKDGNKD FUCK.
And Yusuf... Oh, Yusuf Arain, the MAN that you are. Her husband was the absolute perfect foundation for Maya. Their relationship was an epic journey spanning from their teen years all the way into adulthood. It was written so beautifully and felt so real that I genuinely felt like I grew up right alongside them. BTW, seeing Shahzad, Zinneerah, and Dua as children had me shedding tears. We even got to see glimpses of Azeer as a child, which had me howling with laughter.
To be completely honest, I don’t even want to THINK about the second half of this book. Like, do not look at me, do not speak to me. It was like being repeatedly shot by a million poisonous arrows that were also actively on fire. I have actually never experienced that level of emotional violence in my entire life. I was fighting for my life in the trenches. Certain chapters had me tossing and turning at 4 AM unable to sleep. And yeah, I did hysterically sob for two whole hours straight (ifykyk).
Fuck you, Noor. Sincerely. I hope you're happy with what you've done to me.
Anyway, I love Palimpsest.
I LOVE Palimpsest.
I LOVE PALIMPSEST.
GO READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *but make sure you check TW first <3*
Oh, brother. Where the fuck do I even begin?
In a publishing world of fast-fashion books, recycled tropes, one-dimensional characters, and lack of riveting plot, Palimpsest is the book that we'd all been waiting for. With all my heart, I can say that this story is one of a kind, and the type of literature I had been YEARNING for. There were no tropes, ladies. Just themes upon themes that somehow blended together so perfectly, I was left staring at the wall for ten whole minutes wondering why. Just... why, dude. WHY, WHY, WHY?
For context, if you remember the Sun Tower Series, we were told Maya Arain was your conventional "evil aunt." I’ll admit, I wasn't a big fan of her back then considering her behaviour. But Sasha has done an absolutely incredible job of peeling back the layers and portraying the painful origin behind Maya’s perspective on life. This woman was constantly at war from the age of six until the very end.
The book fearlessly dives into the reality of postpartum psychosis, capturing the vulnerability of motherhood that most authors wouldn't dare to. It delivers a powerful authentic look at the real immigration struggles faced by people of colour living in the West. The imagery for Pakistan in the 80s and 2000s was so vivid I was convinced I was actually there. And tackling the subject of 9/11 through a lens of a Muslim woman/family was done achingly well. Bro, I am sick to my stomach about this one scene in the book especially because I have read Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Zinneerah is just MY GAL. My baby. SKDFNSDKGNDKFGNKDGNKD FUCK.
And Yusuf... Oh, Yusuf Arain, the MAN that you are. Her husband was the absolute perfect foundation for Maya. Their relationship was an epic journey spanning from their teen years all the way into adulthood. It was written so beautifully and felt so real that I genuinely felt like I grew up right alongside them. BTW, seeing Shahzad, Zinneerah, and Dua as children had me shedding tears. We even got to see glimpses of Azeer as a child, which had me howling with laughter.
To be completely honest, I don’t even want to THINK about the second half of this book. Like, do not look at me, do not speak to me. It was like being repeatedly shot by a million poisonous arrows that were also actively on fire. I have actually never experienced that level of emotional violence in my entire life. I was fighting for my life in the trenches. Certain chapters had me tossing and turning at 4 AM unable to sleep. And yeah, I did hysterically sob for two whole hours straight (ifykyk).
Fuck you, Noor. Sincerely. I hope you're happy with what you've done to me.
Anyway, I love Palimpsest.
I LOVE Palimpsest.
I LOVE PALIMPSEST.
GO READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *but make sure you check TW first <3*
June 24, 2026
thank you to Noor for providing me with an arc!
i dont think anyone understands what a piece of work this book is. im all for complex characters and layered plots and this is def one of those books that you have to read between the lines to understand it. maya's story spans over decades and somehow she becomes more and more layered (shes basically an onion that when i cut it open IM SOBBING MY EYES OUT). she honestly doesn't really have a happy life deadass. like, the whole time maya's saying how much she doesnt want to become like her mother because her mother loved her husband more than her children, and treated her children like absolute shit (btw fuck her), and then you have maya who also loves yusuf with her whole life (perhaps more than her children) but at least she's TRYING to love her kids. which tied back so beautifully to the fact that Lahore never left her. like no matter how maya tries to become the best mother, the best wife, the best person, she'll never fully achieve it AND THAT'S WHAT MADE ME GIVE THIS BOOK A FIVE STARS. no one can just WISH to become someone they don't want to be and magically have that wish granted. this story was just so fucking real and refreshing to see that maya indeed will always carry her mother's qualities because it was beaten inside of her. that her past will follow her forever. idk that's just my take on maya.
yusuf, you're the love of my life. seriously alexa, PLS play LOML by taylor swift. i knew about yusuf from the previous books, and the author did justice to his character. tbh, his arc was just perfect. this story is about maya and will BE about maya. yusuf was kind of a guiding light and a shoulder to rely on. like the struggles this couple go through during the first half of the book, my fucking heart yall. i could relate to it because ive seen my own parents struggle this way when they immigrated to the west. i cant even IM CRYING rn.
as for the timelines and stuff, while they are a shit ton of them, it was pretty easy to understand. everytime i was like "wait how old is she now" i could just reference back, but the author also added what ages and stuff in the story. it felt like i was growing up with the characters, so when certain chapters arrived, a part of me broke.
again, thank you Noor Sasha for destroying me. ur paying for my therapy bills because i dont have any insurance.
i dont think anyone understands what a piece of work this book is. im all for complex characters and layered plots and this is def one of those books that you have to read between the lines to understand it. maya's story spans over decades and somehow she becomes more and more layered (shes basically an onion that when i cut it open IM SOBBING MY EYES OUT). she honestly doesn't really have a happy life deadass. like, the whole time maya's saying how much she doesnt want to become like her mother because her mother loved her husband more than her children, and treated her children like absolute shit (btw fuck her), and then you have maya who also loves yusuf with her whole life (perhaps more than her children) but at least she's TRYING to love her kids. which tied back so beautifully to the fact that Lahore never left her. like no matter how maya tries to become the best mother, the best wife, the best person, she'll never fully achieve it AND THAT'S WHAT MADE ME GIVE THIS BOOK A FIVE STARS. no one can just WISH to become someone they don't want to be and magically have that wish granted. this story was just so fucking real and refreshing to see that maya indeed will always carry her mother's qualities because it was beaten inside of her. that her past will follow her forever. idk that's just my take on maya.
yusuf, you're the love of my life. seriously alexa, PLS play LOML by taylor swift. i knew about yusuf from the previous books, and the author did justice to his character. tbh, his arc was just perfect. this story is about maya and will BE about maya. yusuf was kind of a guiding light and a shoulder to rely on. like the struggles this couple go through during the first half of the book, my fucking heart yall. i could relate to it because ive seen my own parents struggle this way when they immigrated to the west. i cant even IM CRYING rn.
as for the timelines and stuff, while they are a shit ton of them, it was pretty easy to understand. everytime i was like "wait how old is she now" i could just reference back, but the author also added what ages and stuff in the story. it felt like i was growing up with the characters, so when certain chapters arrived, a part of me broke.
again, thank you Noor Sasha for destroying me. ur paying for my therapy bills because i dont have any insurance.
June 22, 2026
Thank you to Noor Sasha for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been looking for books that stir different emotions in me. Romances are lovely, yes, but after a while, most of them start to seem rather similar. Is that necessarily a bad thing? No, of course not. But I was yearning for something different, something where we could follow the characters and understand their flaws, their actions and their life choices.
In Palimpsest, we follow Maya throughout her life, from her late teens and beyond. We realise, right from the start, that her day-to-day life is very difficult and that she is a victim of physical and mental abuse from her own family members. These experiences stay with her well into her adult life and show how our environment drastically changes the way we see the world and how we want to position ourselves. Following a scary episode, Maya meets Yusuf, and their relationship develops quite quickly (you’ll understand why when you read the book, it will all make sense).
Now… Yusuf, what a man you are! Yusuf is the most lovable man, and Maya needed someone just like him. He always saw her as an equal and never regarded her as just a ‘simple’ woman who should confine herself to being a housewife and nothing more. He encouraged her to study and to work, so that she could find her own place in a world full of misogyny. Yusuf wanted Maya to be everything herself wished to be, he was never afraid to stand for his wife!
This book is about much more than a romance between Maya and the young man she eventually falls in love with. It deals with abuse, violence, postpartum, adulthood/motherhood, family dynamics, religion, death, and how love can manifest itself through different words and actions. Noor Sasha’s writing is poetic, you’re never just reading a story, you’re looking around you and reflecting on how some of these scenes are part of everyday life in our societies, and how some of the other themes are still treated almost as taboo, when there should be more support and empathy for others.
I’ve been looking for books that stir different emotions in me. Romances are lovely, yes, but after a while, most of them start to seem rather similar. Is that necessarily a bad thing? No, of course not. But I was yearning for something different, something where we could follow the characters and understand their flaws, their actions and their life choices.
In Palimpsest, we follow Maya throughout her life, from her late teens and beyond. We realise, right from the start, that her day-to-day life is very difficult and that she is a victim of physical and mental abuse from her own family members. These experiences stay with her well into her adult life and show how our environment drastically changes the way we see the world and how we want to position ourselves. Following a scary episode, Maya meets Yusuf, and their relationship develops quite quickly (you’ll understand why when you read the book, it will all make sense).
Now… Yusuf, what a man you are! Yusuf is the most lovable man, and Maya needed someone just like him. He always saw her as an equal and never regarded her as just a ‘simple’ woman who should confine herself to being a housewife and nothing more. He encouraged her to study and to work, so that she could find her own place in a world full of misogyny. Yusuf wanted Maya to be everything herself wished to be, he was never afraid to stand for his wife!
This book is about much more than a romance between Maya and the young man she eventually falls in love with. It deals with abuse, violence, postpartum, adulthood/motherhood, family dynamics, religion, death, and how love can manifest itself through different words and actions. Noor Sasha’s writing is poetic, you’re never just reading a story, you’re looking around you and reflecting on how some of these scenes are part of everyday life in our societies, and how some of the other themes are still treated almost as taboo, when there should be more support and empathy for others.
June 25, 2026
Thanks to the author for the ARC!!
As someone who read and enjoyed the Sun Tower series, I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, and it is definitely a one of a kind story.
From the very beginning my heart hurt for Maya, especially knowing the way she was seen by everyone else in her life from the series, and finding out how much she had been through.
I knew her story would be difficult and devastating but I didn’t think I would shed tears by the end (I did).
Maya is a layered and complicated woman but the one thing I kept thinking was “she deserves better”, and of course the impact her actions made on her family, especially her children, can’t be ignored, but knowing her whole story and how hard it was to understand and deal with her mental state I’m left feeling sad for how her life story turned out in the eyes of others. Again, they don’t know or understand the reasoning behind it, and Maya did not always made the right choice when grieving, but Palimpsest gave a lot of depth to Maya and made me root for her and simply wish for her happiness.
As someone who read and enjoyed the Sun Tower series, I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, and it is definitely a one of a kind story.
From the very beginning my heart hurt for Maya, especially knowing the way she was seen by everyone else in her life from the series, and finding out how much she had been through.
I knew her story would be difficult and devastating but I didn’t think I would shed tears by the end (I did).
Maya is a layered and complicated woman but the one thing I kept thinking was “she deserves better”, and of course the impact her actions made on her family, especially her children, can’t be ignored, but knowing her whole story and how hard it was to understand and deal with her mental state I’m left feeling sad for how her life story turned out in the eyes of others. Again, they don’t know or understand the reasoning behind it, and Maya did not always made the right choice when grieving, but Palimpsest gave a lot of depth to Maya and made me root for her and simply wish for her happiness.
June 23, 2026
ARC review
Wow this was a roller coaster of emotions!
I never got round to reading the Sun Tower series so went into this blind
The beginning was soo interesting and I was invested in Yusuf and Maya's story.
As the story spans pretty much Maya's whole life I understand that not everything can be covered and time skips are necessary but sometimes it felt a bit choppy?
Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was not expecting things to be the way they were. Maya is definitely an extremely complex character where I felt incredibly empathic towards her yet extremely frustrated towards her. The irony is that she didn't want to be like her mother but still ends up hurting her children in a different way.
Love that sooo many important concepts were explored that are usually overlooked in South Asian culture.
Also, Yusuf is the greenest green glad ever the shock I felt when THAT happened was crazy.
Wow this was a roller coaster of emotions!
I never got round to reading the Sun Tower series so went into this blind
The beginning was soo interesting and I was invested in Yusuf and Maya's story.
As the story spans pretty much Maya's whole life I understand that not everything can be covered and time skips are necessary but sometimes it felt a bit choppy?
Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was not expecting things to be the way they were. Maya is definitely an extremely complex character where I felt incredibly empathic towards her yet extremely frustrated towards her. The irony is that she didn't want to be like her mother but still ends up hurting her children in a different way.
Love that sooo many important concepts were explored that are usually overlooked in South Asian culture.
Also, Yusuf is the greenest green glad ever the shock I felt when THAT happened was crazy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2026
Thank you so much to the author and her team for gifting me an ARC copy, but now I’ve just spent the last two hours crying.
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