Sunburnt Veils

by Sara Haghdoosti

Girl meets boy, ghosts his text messages, then convinces him to help her run for the student union. Just your typical love story with a hijabi twist.

Tara wears hijab even though her parents hate it, and in a swipe right world she’s looking for the ‘will go to the ends of the earth for you’ type of love. Or, she would be, if she hadn’t sworn off boys to focus on getting into med. Besides, what’s wrong with just crushing on the assassins, mages and thieves in the fantasy books she reads?

When a bomb threat on her first day of university throws her together with totally annoying party king and oh-so-entitled politician’s son Alex, things get complicated. Tara needs to decide if she’s happy reading about heroes, or if she’s ready to step up and be one herself.

Sunburnt Veils is an own-voices rom-com with a political activist edge and a deliciously savvy pop culture voice.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Muslims, Family, Fiction, Australia

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2021

About the author

Sara Haghdoosti was born in Tehran, grew up in Sydney and is currently based in Chicago. It generally takes her ten minutes to answer the question, “Where are you from?”

She’s always loved writing, ‘Sunburnt Veils,’ her first book, was long listed for the Richell Prize in 2018. It highlights the story of two unconventional Muslim women navigating their first year of university. Between a fake bomb threat and a viral video Tara and Mitra find themselves in the middle of a media storm where they have to face who they are, and who they want to become.

Reviews

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ this was so good and i loved that it was set in sydney

[Nadia King · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not often that I start a book review with the words: definitely one of the best books I’ll read this year, but this was my first thought after I finished reading Sunburnt Veils by Iranian Australian Muslim Feminist, Sara Haghdoosti.

Sunburnt Veils is about Tara, a hijab wearing, first-year wanna be med student who is shy, hard-working, and determined. When Tara is falsely linked to a bomb threat at uni she is thrown into running for student council and comes face to face with the oh, so hot, smooth and charming Alex. Alex is just another drinking, privileged, good-looking rich boy, or is he? What follows is a classic girl meets boy romance except throw in bomb threats, a hijab, racism and coming out, and this becomes a YA novel that is so much more than a teen romance.

So why did I love this book?

Because Sunburnt Veils pulls back the veil of ‘otherness’ surrounding Australian female Muslims and represents them as individuals with a wide range of diversity as any other collective group. Sunburnt Veils breaks down stereotypes of Muslim women.

Sunburnt Veils clearly represents the racism and prejudice that I feel we like to minimise in Australia.
The characterisation in the novel is brilliantly done from Tara’s sophisticated, lawyer mum to the privileged Jess with her self-serving rhetoric.

The romance between Tara and Alex was totally on point!

There are so many good lines in this book that my pencil got a fantastic workout. Here are some of my favourite quotes:

‘I ain’t saying it’s fair. I’m saying it’s your story and you’re the only one who can change it.’ (p67)

I had started wearing hijab because I couldn’t change the world without holding on to my own sense of worth. The hijab was a daily reminder that there was more to who I was and what I wanted than other people’s approval. (p72 & 73)

The hijab, for me, was a redirection, even a second chance and because of that it was a reminder that what made us worthy, special even as humans was our imperfection. That I would make mistakes and still be loved. I needed that reassurance to think about changing the world, to believe that I could do big, bold, scary things – and that even if none of it worked out, I’d still be worthy, still be loved. (p73)

I surrendered to the power that was so much bigger than me – and remembered that my life was just a moment in eternity, that I was only one soul in billions that God shepherded. My life mattered and there was almost no way for people to remember my name in a thousand years. I couldn’t wait until the time was right to do good. I only had the now. (p74)

I wanted to do something more. I wanted to be worthy of the life and blessings I had. (p74)

Sunburnt Veils lifts the lid on being a Feminist Muslim in Australia, and what it takes to truly belong. It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone and reaching for something higher than yourself. I highly recommend this wonderfully entertaining, #OwnVoices novel. Bravo, Sara Haghdoosti on a fabulous debut.

Many thanks to the lovely folks at Wakefield Press for sending me a copy of Sunburnt Veils.

[rachel, x · Rating 3 out of 5]

➸ Trigger warnings for Islamophobia (theme), racism, lesbomisia, hate crime, parental abandonment and neglect, disownment, coming out scenes, accidental public outing, alcohol consumption, recreational drug use, hospitalisation, grief and loss depiction, death of a grandmother from a heart attack recounted, physical assault, and hazing.

▷ Representation: Tara (mc) is Iranian-Australia & hijabi Muslim; BIPOC, Muslin & queer scs.

Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: Islamophobia, homophobia, assault, shitty parenting, HP references, drug use, mentions of terrorism, death of a grandparent (in the past).

3.5 stars.

I liked that this is YA that's set in first year university - all too often, the second books feature university-aged characters, they go straight into smut territory that I can't buy for work. This is very solidly young adult, a coming of age story that features an eighteen year old protagonist dealing with not getting into her dream course and having to find a way to transfer, getting into student politics, and falling in love.

I liked the way this handled Tara's transition to university, particularly with rising tension on campus between the Muslim students and the right wing students. The romance was sweet, if a little underdeveloped. The friendships and the secondary characters, though, were where this shone, particularly the discussions around being Muslim and LGBTQIA+. I teared up a little over Amoo Ali's confession.

I did find myself wishing that, given that Tara wants to transfer into medicine, we'd seen more of her actually going to class and being a STUDENT rather than name dropping fantasy books and authors all over the damned place. And obviously I wished there were less mentions of Joss Whedon because as much as his shows were a HUGE part of my 20s, the man himself is a trash human, thanks very much. (Also, the vast majority of teenagers have never even heard of Buffy. So.)

[ALPHAreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello - yes! - I am the agent that represented this title too, full-disclosure.

Many moons ago (2019) Australian YA author Sarah Ayoub came to me saying she knew of this young woman of Iranian-Muslim background, who is Australian-raised and is now based overseas and has this *fantastic*-sounding YA manuscript, and would I like an introduction?

UM - YES PLEASE!

This is how Sara Haghdoosti came into my orbit; along with her fierce, funny and heartfelt protagonist Tara. The rest, as they say, is now publication day, and I could not be prouder to have played a *very small* part in seeing this book hit shelves.

Sara is an important new voice in Australian YA; someone who completely writes from the heart, and with a keen eye for speaking truth to power in a myriad ways that centres young people's stories and hardships.

I know this book is just the first in a long and bright career she has ahead of her!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got my copy this afternoon, and after much chuckling exclaiming and chortling, I have just finished it!

Sunburnt Veils is a charming, entertaining and thought-provoking novel that sits at the centre of a venn diagram of: strong female lead, A+ banter, excellent rom-com vibes (think: To All the Boys I've Loved Before), strong social commentary and thoughtful analysis, female friendship, and student politics and uni days. And it comes with a bonus layer of amazing fantasy and pop culture references (which add an extra layer of enjoyment for the fantasy readers amongst us, but aren't required to understand any of the plot), plus really likable characters.

I love it, and if you like any of those things ^ I think you will too.

[Ange Tran · Rating 3 out of 5]

so nostalgic of USYD it made me miss it, great political discussions of race & love, also extra special that my doctor gave me this book to read 🥹

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review)

Gosh I loved this book. I love the nuance and complexity of the characters. It is always so great to be taken beyond a surface stereotype, and Haghdoosti has done a wonderful job of writing a great range of characters. Of course I especially love Tara. Her love of fantasy books, her drive to get into med, her friendships and her relationship with her mum. She is fierce and smart and hilarious and awkward and protective of her friends. It was a delight to get to know her and follow along her adventures at Sydney Uni. I also really enjoyed getting to know Alex with her, as well as a bunch of well-written secondary characters with their own loves and struggles.

An aspect that I particularly appreciated about this story is the way that the author writes about Tara’s faith. I am a person of faith, but I feel like I so rarely see that well-represented in mainstream media, including YA books. While Tara and I have different faiths, I really loved reading about how her faith affects her every day life and her world view. It felt very real and relatable, and I wish there’d been more books like this around when I was a teenager!

Her beliefs, and the very obvious outward signs of them, make her a target of hatred and and misunderstanding in the story. In contrast to the way some of the other characters treat her, Sara Haghdoosti has written a beautiful, intelligent young woman. We as readers are given the opportunity to love and understand all aspects of her life, served up along side a sweet romance, a bit of political activism and a whole lot of references to all my favourite fantasy series 🤩

[Savanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It never will make sense to me why people insist on being prejudiced to others. Whether it be their religion, ethnicity, sexuality, or gender etc, it’s a despicable part of humanity. But I hope that despite those things, people like Tara will stand up for their rights, and hope for a better world. This book inspired me to keep fighting for the rights of those who have been denied them. And it makes me proud to be the person that I am. So thanks to Sara Haghdoosti for this incredible novel.

[Vivien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this so much!!!

[Avril · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the huge caveat that I am not the target audience for this book, I really wanted to like it more. I am a middle-aged woman who reads the young adult fiction that was not available in my teens. So I read the queer romances that were unavailable, the books with protagonists who aren’t the usual young white cis-het male called to save the world (yes, Belgarion and Harry Potter, I’m looking at you), and mostly the fact that I could almost be their grandmother doesn’t matter. But I just didn’t like Tara, or believe in her relationship with Alex.

My trouble started with the ‘bomb threat’ that starts the narrative. This is meant to be an example of the Islamophobia that Tara experiences as someone wearing a hijab but, for goodness’ sake, she runs out of a lecture theatre leaving her bag behind? If I saw that I wouldn’t assume she was a bomber, I’d assume that for someone supposedly so intelligent, she’s an idiot! I was feeling grumpy old woman from the start.

My other difficulty was the repeated references to the Harry Potter series and to Joss Whedon, with no suggestion that there might be anything problematic about either. No recognition of Rowling’s TERF-ness or the accusations against Whedon. Surely someone as clued in as Tara would know about both, and yet there isn’t even a mention along the lines of ‘I can still use Hermione and Buffy as role models even if their creators turn out to be appalling’? The book was published in 2021; the issues have been out there for years.

Of course, the book I wish I’d read would have centred Mitra and Sam’s relationship and looked more at the queer Arab underground. But that’s not the book that was written and I shouldn’t judge the book that was by a hypothetical alternative.

Anyway, again with the caveat, I’m not the target audience, and I’m sure many Muslim Australian teenage girls will enjoy seeing themselves in this protagonist. So, an extra star for that. But definitely not as good as Danielle Binks’ The Monster of Her Age or Gary Lonesborough’s The Boy from the Mish, two other recent Australian coming-of-age/teen romances.

[Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunburnt Veils reads simply. It is mid-paced and easy to read, with many important issues thrown in for good measure. It has an air of importance and relevance.

Tara is a quirky protagonist. She knows who she is, what she wants and how to get there. But alongside her incredible smarts, she embraces her inner nerd and isn't afraid to show it. She also wants to see the best in people, even if more often then not, she is subjected to prejudice based on her religious choice to wear a hijab.

I adore the relationship that Tara has with Alex. They keep eachother on their toes and their banter is hilarious. It does make me sad though, when Tara thinks she isn't enough for someone like Alex. Because society has made her believe that no one could possibly be interested in someone who practices Muslim faith and wears a hijab.

This book tackles so many problems that young adults face in their young lives, from racism and sexuality through to divorce and university unions. It has something for everyone. The characters are so varied and complex, there will be someone for everyone to relate to. Not only that, there are so many pop-culture references, effortlessly woven into the pages, it is so nice to see them printed in a book!

Sunburnt Veils is such a powerful and relevent read. This own-voices read shows what it is like to be someone who struggles with other people's implications of their faith. How it can be completely misconstrued because of media and scare mongering. This book is important. It needs to be read.

Thank you so much to Wakefield Press and AusYaBloggers for sending me a review copy of this book and having me along for the blog tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I care about people feeling welcome, getting to be who they are.” – Sunburnt Veils by Sara Haghdoosti.
A huge and heartfelt thank you to the absolutely lovely team at Wakefield Press for sending me a review copy of this absolutely exquisite, own voices debut. Please, may I encourage you all, if you’ve not read it already, do add this gem to your TBR! I finished this book, quite possibly far too long after starting it (but I’ve been quite busy and tired lately so in all truth, haven’t had much time to read), but after I finished Sunburnt Veils, I completely felt empowered and had years welling in my eyes from this amazing book!
I absolutely take my hat off to Sara Haghdoosti for penning such a raw, emotional, sometimes brutal but altogether completely honest story that completely tackles the brutality that is the heartbreakingly harsh reality of racism, every time our main character, Tara, was targeted, I felt my blood completely boil on her behalf! How dare some people think that they can try and pull something against someone, just because their beliefs are different, just because they dress differently or that they’re skin is a different colour! It’s absolutely upsetting that Tara was targeted throughout this book, that she’s trying to make school more of a safer and inclusive place, is absolutely amazing!!
The friendships throughout this lovely story were absolutely equally heart warming and heart wrenching throughout! Heart wrenching, because Tara and Mitra do go through done really horrible things, I just wanted to give them the biggest of hugs throughout! Whilst Tara’s Mother is absolutely supportive of her Daughter’s goals, though she might not completely love that Tara wears her hijab so proudly, her Mother is so earnestly filled with love for her Daughter and best friend, Mitra, who equally has some heart wrenching moments throughout Sunburnt Veils! What I love though, is no matter what Mitra and Tara go through and how hurt and upset they are by others immensely hurtful actions, they absolutely have one another’s backs no matter what!
It’s definitely completely safe and right to assume that Sara Haghdoosti’s writing is completely poignant and seamlessly weaves Tara’s story together, packing in punches and a huge helping of heart throughout! I easily felt like I was constantly swept up in the high scale emotions throughout, I felt like I was right there alongside Tara and her friends and the wonderfully broody Alex, as they fought for their voices to be heard! It did make me feel absolutely devastated when Tara didn’t think she was a good enough match for Alex, she’s every bit his equal! Their banter throughout was such fun to read about and I absolutely loved their developing chemistry! I also loved the pop culture references throughout, from reading about Tara channel her favourite fictional heroines (and being every bit as fierce as they are!), from loving Celaena in Throne of Glass, to having a keyring that’s a mini replica of Arya Starks’ Needle, the pop culture references throughout were such fun!
Sunburnt Veils was an utter delight to read, I can’t wait to recommend it to everyone! It makes me happy that this book exists! It’s definitely one that I’ll be thinking about with utter fondness and poignancy and I completely see myself rereading it! A huge thank you once again to the lovely team at Wakefield Press for sending a review copy of Sunburnt Veils to read and review!

[Books.and.brews_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunburnt Veils follows Tara, our driven, smart and a little bit nerdy MC as she embarks on her journey to studying Med at university. When she innocently leaves her uni bag on a chair and a bomb threat is actioned and events start to unravel. Tara finds herself thrown into running for student council and begins to call to action injustices at the university.

This book is a quick read that explores some hard hitting topics such as racism and sexuality but also explores fun themes of falling in love, strong friendship bonds and fighting for what's right! 

I really enjoyed the cast of characters that make up Tara's friend's group, they are all so motivating, caring and bantering. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Tara and her best friend Mitra. Both characters go through a lot in this story but are so supportive and understanding of each other.

Thank you so much to Wakefield Press and AusYaBloggers for having me on the blog tour for this book!

[Shilane R · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you rate your current read so far?⁠
⁠
Review: Sunburnt Veils is an own-voices rom-com with a political activist edge and a deliciously savvy pop culture voice.⁠
⁠
This book had me tearing up while reading in public. Set in an Australian University, Tara decides to challenge the prejudices of her University after a bomb threat is called in when she leaves her backpack on her seat. ⁠
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The cast of friends and family surrounding Tara were wonderfully written, and each character really felt like they had a life of their own, rather than just existing when they were on the page. ⁠
⁠
Thank you @wakefieldpress for sending me a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.⁠

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Sexism
Racism
Islamomisia
Queermisia
Drug use
Death of grandparent recounted

[s. · Rating 2 out of 5]

wow, this one's terrible.

[rara ➶]

need to remember to read this asap july 31, 2024

added to my TBR on may 05, 2021

[layan ليان]

DNF at 42%
Maybe I should stop trying to read Muslim rep romcoms.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolute breeze to read, sweet and touches on some really important subjects.

[Christine Yunn-Yu Sun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in a series of six reviews featuring the 2022 Readings Young Adult Book Prize.

Question: What is wrong with the following paragraph?

“The [cross], for me, was a redirection, even a second chance and because of that it was a reminder that what made us worthy, special even as humans was our imperfection. That I would make mistakes and still be loved. I needed that reassurance to think about changing the world, to believe that I could do big, bold, scary things – and that even if none of it worked out, I’d still be worthy, still be loved.”

Answer: Nothing.

But what if the word “cross” in the brackets is replaced with “hijab”? Will your response be any different?

As the first-person narrator Tara in Sunburnt Veils reveals, wearing the hijab “felt like a superpower, giving me X-ray goggles to see into people’s souls. I could glimpse people’s real selves when they saw me, before social norms closed over their faces, transforming panic into polite smiles, or fear into angry sneers”.

More importantly, Tara wears the hijab to honour her faith and family, even when her own parents choose not to in order to survive in a society where those with different appearances are so often alienated, abused and attacked that victim-blaming becomes common.

On her first day as student of a prestigious university, Tara is accused of being a potential terrorist and causing a bomb threat. While her accuser tearfully claims “I was just scared and I shouldn’t have to be worried that I’m not safe all the time”, it is Tera who is publicly interrogated and has to claim back her personal belongings from the police station.

Instead of putting her head down and waiting for all the humiliation and gossip to go away, Tara decides to run for Student Union Board and make the university a better place. In her words:

“The promise of this place is that when you walk in the gates, this community will help you become the best you can be.” That is, the university – as a microcosm of our society – is supposed to be about “learning and curiosity”, where you can “show up, stand up for what’s important, even if you’re not sure how it’ll turn out”.

Tara’s journey is one of self-discovery, of searching for and finding connection without ever doubting her own sense of worth. Like the other strong female characters in this story, she chooses to create change rather than waiting for someone else to make it happen for them.

Sunburnt Veils is also a critique of our “natural” ways of seeing the IDEA of others – what we IMAGINE they represent – rather than who they really are. Thanks to debut author Sara Haghdoosti, we get to better understand the true nature and significance of diversity as much more than a politically correct word. Highly recommended.

Note: This book review was originally published under the title “Sunburnt Veils: Strong own-voices debut” by Ranges Trader Star Mail, November 15, 2022, P.15.

[Helen Farch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara is forging her own path - deciding to wear hijab despite the protests of her parents, attending University to become a doctor and now, running for Student Union. More comfortable in the fantasy worlds she loves to read about, Tara instead learns that she can be the hero in her own story.

On her first day at university Tara is excited about her future and determined to focus on her studies so she can get into medicine. But, an urgent call from her best friend Mitra has her running out of her orientation lecture, leaving behind her backpack. When she gets back to the lecture theatre she finds that someone has called in a bomb threat after seeing her running out the door after leaving her bag behind.

Tara is seething. Just because she wear hijab, that makes her a muslim terrorist?

And so begins Tara's journey into University politics, running for Student Union under a platfrom of creating a University where all students feel welcome.

Things get more complicated when she falls for her campaign manager, Alex. Handsome, too charming for his own good, Alex. Who also just happens to be the son of the Premier of NSW.

This is a wonderful #ownvoices story with diverse characters who you will fall in love with, and real-world issues of racism, elitism and homophobia.

Is it too much to ask for another book about Tara, Alex, Mitra and Sam and they continue to forge change in their community?

Thanks to Wakefield Press and the author for sending me a copy to read and review.

[T.A. Beasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a coming of age story made me take a different look at racism, bullying and a person's ability to find his or her voice.

Tara just wants to wear her hijab, live comfortable and go to med school. She doesn't want to be bullied, attacked and accused of awful crimes, but it happens in this book. I felt the reasoning behind how Tara handled each situation and how learning she did have friends who support her helped her find her voice. It her the courage to stand up and speak out on the injustice happening at uni against not only her but others.

The romance element between Alex and Tara didn't overpower the book and had a young vibe to it, which I appreciated. This book had characters I loved and want to know more about, but also had characters I wanted to throw a book at, but I digress. I enjoyed that some of the secondary characters had arcs that dealt with relatable issues. It is a wonderful yet educational debut novel and I love forward to reading more of this author's work.

[Vaish -bookishbelle1008 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was poignant, heartwarming and inspirational with a message that will stay with you long after you put the novel down. Exploring themes of racism, prejudice, sexuality and power, Haghdoosti has pieced together a story that describes an unfortunate reality of the world we live in. There are certain raw moments that shatter your heart but serve as a reminder of the strength in unity and diversity.

Tara is a compassionate and courageous individual who fights against the odds for justice. Alex learns from his interactions with Tara and encourages himself to stand up for what he believes in and to make a difference. Their romantic journey is organic, sweet and realistic. The side characters are all well written and the setting of Sydney, Australia, made the read so much more special.

Thank you to AusYABloggers and Wakfield press for sending me a review copy and including me in the tour. As Haghdoosti says, “go for it”, you never know what magic you can create ✨.

[Katg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooo many spoilers- stop reading now
Challenging stereotypes
Tara hijab wearing first year uni. Experiences racism, bomb threat & hijab ripping, social media, university elections, power of friendship & difference & community of friends created. Activism group dynamic, banners,protests, media influence, making assumptions about how people look, LGBTIQ, Muslim, the freedom of first year out of school parties/ feeling awkward finding your people. along with the pain of rejection from father. Mother lawyer, grandmother relationship important.
Best friend fiery, car fanatic, mechanic, girlfriend, Uncle partner estranged parents. Romance with Alex finally flourishes. Really enjoyed this book but the silver rings felt too staged & sooo much happens in this story….

[Kay Willo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic young adult contemporary fiction about sticking up for your choices and beliefs and not being belittled by the masses.

The characters are lovely especially Tara’s mum Leila who is total parent goals! I hope I have the same amount of patience and understanding as her when my kids are adults!

Read it for a quick feel good weekend read about overcoming adversity and sticking up for your basic human rights.

Don’t read it if you’re sensitive to Islamophobia. Spoiler alert - it’s a happy ending but there are some real arseholes along the way!

[Jac Flett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Avoca 1 day read.

Enjoyable read but we all know I love a good beach romance and the romance was lacking a little bit - but still pretty good. Realistic and fun to read something set in Sydney. Story mentions terrible things that happen in the colleges and USYD, its pretty horrible knowing similar things have actually happened at the colleges, and how important books like these are. Also, called it that the BFF was gay. Interesting that it wasn't a big deal and didn't matter. A fresh book, not stereotypical and made me laugh a few times.

3/5

[Lauredhel]

Sunburnt Veils was really good! Tara is excited to start first year at Sydney Uni, her eyes laser focused on keeping her head down and getting into med school. All eyes are on her on day one in an Islamophobic incident, & she has to decide : take off her hijab and fade into the background, or stand up for herself? Great female friendship, plus romance with a Pride & Prejudice vibe, plus Muslim queer pride. No stereotypes here.

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 // The writing was a little cheesy and there wasn't much subtlety to anything, but it covered really important topics, and was cute!, and had great food and lots of dancing and some crucial insights. I loved Mitra, and the others were sweet too. I wish I could give this a higher rating but the writing just wasn't quite up to scratch for me. But I think the writing will get stronger as the author releases more and I very much look forward to what will come from her next!!!!

[Demet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes a skilled writer to weave social, racial, religious and political issues into a funny, witty, entertaining and heartfelt story. But this book is more than that. It’s about how we connect and how we love, it’s about unearthing our courage and learning how to use it to accept ourselves and others. Sunburnt Veils is a powerful look at what happens when difference and diversity are not barriers but become anchors of connection. A joy to read.