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The Things We See in the Light
In the cafe, I watch as a woman takes a photo of her plate an impressive, glossy lime-coloured dessert with shards of chocolate perched on top. I want to feel that ease and confidence, too. Like this is my city again, and I know my way around it.
Eight years ago, Sahar pursued her happily ever after when she married Khaled and followed him to Jordan, leaving behind her family, her friends and a thriving cake business. But married life didn't go as planned and, haunted by secrets, Sahar has returned home to Sydney without telling her husband.
With the help of her childhood friends, Sahar hits the reset button on her life. She takes a job at a local patisserie run by Maggie, a strong but kind manager who guides Sahar in sweets and life.
But as she tentatively gets to know her colleagues, Sahar faces a whole new set of challenges. There's Kat and Inez, who are determined that Sahar try new experiences. Then there's Luke, a talented chocolatier and a bundle of contradictions.
As Sahar embraces the new, she reinvents herself, trying things once forbidden to her. But just when she is finally starting to find her feet, her past finds its way back to her.
'A woman's journey of self-discovery, the power of enduring female friendships and an unexpected love story. The Things We See in the Light ticked all my boxes. I loved everything about this story." Tess Woods
Eight years ago, Sahar pursued her happily ever after when she married Khaled and followed him to Jordan, leaving behind her family, her friends and a thriving cake business. But married life didn't go as planned and, haunted by secrets, Sahar has returned home to Sydney without telling her husband.
With the help of her childhood friends, Sahar hits the reset button on her life. She takes a job at a local patisserie run by Maggie, a strong but kind manager who guides Sahar in sweets and life.
But as she tentatively gets to know her colleagues, Sahar faces a whole new set of challenges. There's Kat and Inez, who are determined that Sahar try new experiences. Then there's Luke, a talented chocolatier and a bundle of contradictions.
As Sahar embraces the new, she reinvents herself, trying things once forbidden to her. But just when she is finally starting to find her feet, her past finds its way back to her.
'A woman's journey of self-discovery, the power of enduring female friendships and an unexpected love story. The Things We See in the Light ticked all my boxes. I loved everything about this story." Tess Woods
364 pages, Paperback
Published August 31, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
June 22, 2021
This novel grabbed hold of me and pulled me in and refused to let me go until I'd finished. I was immediately drawn to Sahar and the story of her past journey in Jordan, married to a man she barely knew, as it is slowly revealed to us, as well as her present journey discovering who she is now she has taken control of her life.
I loved that Sahar was in her 40s and still discovering who she was, there's hope for me still.
The cast of characters surrounding Sahar were so wonderfully varied, all with quirks and their own issues. My favourite was Luke, I enjoyed watching him open up and in turn cause Sahar to open up to new possibilities also.
I loved this story, it spoke to me in many ways, a story of friendship, love, of journeys with plenty of lessons to learn along the way, I enjoyed every minute of it.
I loved that Sahar was in her 40s and still discovering who she was, there's hope for me still.
The cast of characters surrounding Sahar were so wonderfully varied, all with quirks and their own issues. My favourite was Luke, I enjoyed watching him open up and in turn cause Sahar to open up to new possibilities also.
I loved this story, it spoke to me in many ways, a story of friendship, love, of journeys with plenty of lessons to learn along the way, I enjoyed every minute of it.
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July 14, 2023Somewhere on the border between women's fiction and romance, this is the third in a series of books about Australian-Arab women. The heroine used to be a very observant Muslim, but went to Jordan to marry a man she barely knew, and it all fell apart in a messy way. Now pushing 40 and after a traumatic event and a marital breakdown, she's come back to Australia without husband or much faith left, and is trying to start again, returning to her first love: baking.
There's a sweet slow burn romance with the chocolatier (lots of chocolate work in this book) but the main focus is Sahar's personal growth as she makes herself push her boundaries and starts to understand more about herself, and her friendships, and her part in what went wrong in her life, and indeed her relationship with her culture and religion.
It's vividly written and very engaging, with realistically messed up characters and a lot of people who are flawed in various ways, but who generally mean well. I think what I liked most was the book's quiet acknowledgement that people really are not even close to right all the time, but that doesn't make them villains. We make mistakes and missteps and do ourselves no favours, and the point is to try again and fail better.
It makes for a really sympathetic story full of hurt and hope, and I was entirely engaged by Sahar's journey.
(I have to mention that I was entirely freaked out by the repeated use of the word w*g which is a horrendous racist term in the UK, but Google tells me that it doesn't work that way in Australia and is used by groups to refer to themselves. Just a heads up to Brits.)
There's a sweet slow burn romance with the chocolatier (lots of chocolate work in this book) but the main focus is Sahar's personal growth as she makes herself push her boundaries and starts to understand more about herself, and her friendships, and her part in what went wrong in her life, and indeed her relationship with her culture and religion.
It's vividly written and very engaging, with realistically messed up characters and a lot of people who are flawed in various ways, but who generally mean well. I think what I liked most was the book's quiet acknowledgement that people really are not even close to right all the time, but that doesn't make them villains. We make mistakes and missteps and do ourselves no favours, and the point is to try again and fail better.
It makes for a really sympathetic story full of hurt and hope, and I was entirely engaged by Sahar's journey.
(I have to mention that I was entirely freaked out by the repeated use of the word w*g which is a horrendous racist term in the UK, but Google tells me that it doesn't work that way in Australia and is used by groups to refer to themselves. Just a heads up to Brits.)
August 9, 2021
‘The end of every relationship will always make you question the beginning.’
In this story of choices and fresh beginnings, Sahar looks to establish a new life. Sahar married Khaled eight years ago and followed him to Jordan. Life there was not what she expected. Unhappy and haunted by secrets, Sahar returns to Sydney where she has friends. But eight years is a long time. The lives of her friends have changed and Sahar wonders (and worries) about embracing change. She also needs a job.
Sahar takes a job in a local patisserie and, with the help of her manager Maggie and colleagues Kat, Inez, and Luke discovers new possibilities. Has she really escaped the past? And can she find a new life outside the conservative values that shaped her choices in early adulthood? Can Amal overcome the guilt she feels as she tries to find her own path? This is an engrossing journey of self-discovery, of learning that while change involves risks, it is possible. Friends matter, and chocolate helps!
A heart-warming story of challenges, choices, and diversity.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this story of choices and fresh beginnings, Sahar looks to establish a new life. Sahar married Khaled eight years ago and followed him to Jordan. Life there was not what she expected. Unhappy and haunted by secrets, Sahar returns to Sydney where she has friends. But eight years is a long time. The lives of her friends have changed and Sahar wonders (and worries) about embracing change. She also needs a job.
Sahar takes a job in a local patisserie and, with the help of her manager Maggie and colleagues Kat, Inez, and Luke discovers new possibilities. Has she really escaped the past? And can she find a new life outside the conservative values that shaped her choices in early adulthood? Can Amal overcome the guilt she feels as she tries to find her own path? This is an engrossing journey of self-discovery, of learning that while change involves risks, it is possible. Friends matter, and chocolate helps!
A heart-warming story of challenges, choices, and diversity.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 26, 2023
What a gem! I thought this book was absolutely wonderful.
I was really touched by the protagonist, Sahar and her story of identity, loss, love, starting over, discovery and friendship.
The tone throughout this book is exquisitely tender and thoughtful. It’s filled with insight and the author’s observations on life and growth weave together beautifully with lessons learned in the patisserie’s kitchen over chocolate and sweets.
There is so much to love about The Things We See In The Light - from scrumptious food descriptions to sweet romance, an Arab Australian lead, a focus on the lives of women in their late 30s and best of all, beautiful and empowering female friendships.
This book left me feeling uplifted and hopeful. I think you’ll love this too! I’ll absolutely be reading Amal Awad’s earlier books and I look forward to more people discovering this gem of a book!
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.
I was really touched by the protagonist, Sahar and her story of identity, loss, love, starting over, discovery and friendship.
The tone throughout this book is exquisitely tender and thoughtful. It’s filled with insight and the author’s observations on life and growth weave together beautifully with lessons learned in the patisserie’s kitchen over chocolate and sweets.
There is so much to love about The Things We See In The Light - from scrumptious food descriptions to sweet romance, an Arab Australian lead, a focus on the lives of women in their late 30s and best of all, beautiful and empowering female friendships.
This book left me feeling uplifted and hopeful. I think you’ll love this too! I’ll absolutely be reading Amal Awad’s earlier books and I look forward to more people discovering this gem of a book!
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.
October 26, 2021
My review is published in the November edition of goodREADS. :-)
December 16, 2021
So tedious it was a battle to finish. I thought o was reading about women in their early 20’s and perhaps that was why I found the characters so unrelatable but when it is mentioned that the women are in their 40’s, their banality became more profound. It felt like half the book was dedicated to the process of making chocolate which was as boring as watching paint dry. Not an author for me.
October 5, 2021
I absolutely ADORED this book. I don't think I've read a book that explores so many different intersections of life and I think that's what made it so enjoyable to read. Highly recommend!
June 16, 2021
Sahar, a woman pushing forty, has returned to Sydney after leaving her controlling husband with whom she has spent the past eight years in Jordan. She arrives on the doorstop of her friend Lara and it is here that her journey to self discovery and a new outlook begins. A strict childhood and unhappy marriage created boundaries that can now be stretched and redefined. After taking on a job in a pastry/chocolate shop, Sahar embarks on an experiment suggested by her friends and workmates to try and experience those things she missed out on during her teenage and young adult life.
What follows is a thoughtful and inspiring narrative where Sahar follows her destiny from naive innocence to a place of belonging and peace. The Fool finds her place in The World. And perhaps, despite some speed bumps, finds Love along the way?
Amal Awad has crafted a novel that gently enfolds you and whispers truths you need to know. So much about Sahar spoke to me personally and although it took me a few pages to fall into the rhythm, I loved every moment.
Thanks to Better Reading Preview for the uncorrected proof copy of "The Things We see in the Light".
What follows is a thoughtful and inspiring narrative where Sahar follows her destiny from naive innocence to a place of belonging and peace. The Fool finds her place in The World. And perhaps, despite some speed bumps, finds Love along the way?
Amal Awad has crafted a novel that gently enfolds you and whispers truths you need to know. So much about Sahar spoke to me personally and although it took me a few pages to fall into the rhythm, I loved every moment.
Thanks to Better Reading Preview for the uncorrected proof copy of "The Things We see in the Light".
April 21, 2022
I wanted to love this book, and saved it for Easter. I’ve read a lot about women raised in the Islamic faith who have questioned their beliefs in adulthood and how they distinguish between doctrine and lifestyle and which parts they want to retain in their secular lives. This book was promising, but a major disappointment. Wafer thin characters, cliches and a schmozzle of a story. I suspect the editing was heavy handed and it didn’t quite fit together. Too many girl power, gal pal cliches to be real, plus a 40 year old experienced aid worker, from war zones, letting women in an inner Sydney chocolate shop dictate her life experiences through high school like “ initiation” to life? I read to the end in hope of redemption!
November 21, 2021
To be fair this is not the type of book I would normally read. Read as part of a book club. The strong friendship of the women kept me reading and was relatable. Just released in my street library for someone else to enjoy :)
January 1, 2022
“I’m still sorting through the wreckage, but as I look around the room, I realise something profound. My friends are here. And there it is: a glimpse of my true foundation, the thing that holds me in place no matter the weather.”
There is no way I can write a review that gives enough credit to this work. It is full of romance, the safety of childhood friendships, and the beauty of baking and creation :) It's a romantic story and with depth and nuance. And the food part of it I doubt any writer has ever captivated in such a unique style.
So recommended! Happy new year.
There is no way I can write a review that gives enough credit to this work. It is full of romance, the safety of childhood friendships, and the beauty of baking and creation :) It's a romantic story and with depth and nuance. And the food part of it I doubt any writer has ever captivated in such a unique style.
So recommended! Happy new year.
September 25, 2023
This was a little heavy on the romance elements for my romance-phobic self - had I researched properly, I probably would have realised that it was the conclusion to a set of novels with romance themes. Despite that, I enjoyed the portrayal of Newtown and its diverse communities, as well as the glimpses of life in Jordan and how someone settles into their own skin.
May 8, 2022
I wasn't sure what to expect coming into this book. It is about a Muslim woman escaping a marriage and a husband in Jordan who comes back to Australia to re-build her life. She used to be a baker and gets a job in a bakery as a restart. She is also questioning the devout way she was bought up.
The book is about friendship and the people in your life that help you put the pieces back together when everything has fallen apart. I loved the "Experience" idea that they did to help her move on.
It is a great read and I would recommend it.
The book is about friendship and the people in your life that help you put the pieces back together when everything has fallen apart. I loved the "Experience" idea that they did to help her move on.
It is a great read and I would recommend it.
June 1, 2021
This book is about transformation, courage and breaking the mould. Amal Awad has beautifully captured the inner turmoil, guilt and insecurity that comes with trying to be someone you’re not.
Sahar married the wrong man and tried to live in the wrong life. Her constrained world in Jordan left her feeling inadequate and alone, but also opened her up to a liaison that could be dangerous.
She leaves it all to find her own peace in Sydney and reconnect with friends. The problem is she can’t reveal everything she has done, she also needs a job and desperately wants to feel validated as a human.
Slowly she finds her way, working again in baking and chocolate with a team that is more like a family. Slowly she starts to acknowledge her true self and allow herself to experience life without shame and without regret.
Reinvention is embedded in this book together with the freedom we can give ourselves, if we just allow ourselves to be authentic, without self-recrimination.
A powerful read and highly recommended.
Sahar married the wrong man and tried to live in the wrong life. Her constrained world in Jordan left her feeling inadequate and alone, but also opened her up to a liaison that could be dangerous.
She leaves it all to find her own peace in Sydney and reconnect with friends. The problem is she can’t reveal everything she has done, she also needs a job and desperately wants to feel validated as a human.
Slowly she finds her way, working again in baking and chocolate with a team that is more like a family. Slowly she starts to acknowledge her true self and allow herself to experience life without shame and without regret.
Reinvention is embedded in this book together with the freedom we can give ourselves, if we just allow ourselves to be authentic, without self-recrimination.
A powerful read and highly recommended.
May 30, 2021
Sahar is a women who had a successful cake business which she left behind as well as childhood friends, and family to pursue her happily ever after in Jordan. Unfortunately her husband didn't wish for her to pursue her food pssions there and the love and passion she expected didn't live up to expectations. Homesick and lonely she returns after recovering from a tragic event leaving her emotionally and physically scarred.
She takes up a trainee position in a new job doing what she loves and through the help of friends old and new slowly starts to open up discovering whom she really is and what she wants to achieve with her life.
It's a story of discovery and cultural diversity and acceptance no matter what race or religion a person is. Its a tale of learning no matter your age or beliefs that you can grow and develop your whole life.
I loved this beautiful story and it's moral message. I strongly recommend this book to anyone wishing to be more diverse and empathetic.
She takes up a trainee position in a new job doing what she loves and through the help of friends old and new slowly starts to open up discovering whom she really is and what she wants to achieve with her life.
It's a story of discovery and cultural diversity and acceptance no matter what race or religion a person is. Its a tale of learning no matter your age or beliefs that you can grow and develop your whole life.
I loved this beautiful story and it's moral message. I strongly recommend this book to anyone wishing to be more diverse and empathetic.
June 22, 2021
Loved this book! I was really interested to read it as a Mossie ( Muslim Aussie) and it didn’t disappoint. I actually started reading it right around Eid time ( it just took me a while to get around to writing a review...) when we were all getting stuck into lots of sweets ( after a month of fasting) so one of the major themes (of sweets, cakes and chocolate) was an eerily relevant coincidence. Not that I needed encouragement, but it did affect what ( sweets) I was eating over all the Eid days ( and beyond!) I liked Sahar and all of her friends, and the book does an amazing job of showing we (Mossies) are a diverse community, just like anyone else. Thanks to Better Reading for the chance to experience an Advance Uncorrected Proof copy before (almost) everybody else of this entertaining read
June 2, 2021
I absolutely loved this book! In the beginning I kept reading beacuse of the cultural element but soon I was completely hooked! It spoke to me. The way the characters experienced their own heartaches but supported one another through every avenue. The way the three school fiends remained close well into their adult lives and opened their friendship to new friends. The way Sahar finds her path and becomes who she feels comfortable with. This book is so beautifulfully written, it creates so many feelings... I felt tears building up so often! I love that it explored topics often avoided and created a feeling of worth as a reader. I honestly feel like this book is a massively warm hug!!
June 14, 2021
I really liked this book.
It had sufficient mystery to keep me wanting to delve deeper to find the answers.
Sahar has returned to Sydney after 8 years in Jordan and moves in with an old childhood friend. But why, I kept asking myself?
She finds a job which teaches her new skills and meets old friends and new along this journey.
And this book is a journey. It kept me guessing and is told in a frank and realistic manner.
I loved the way the ending kept winding in different experiences for all of the cast, and was left very satisfied.
Do yourself a favour and read this book.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
It had sufficient mystery to keep me wanting to delve deeper to find the answers.
Sahar has returned to Sydney after 8 years in Jordan and moves in with an old childhood friend. But why, I kept asking myself?
She finds a job which teaches her new skills and meets old friends and new along this journey.
And this book is a journey. It kept me guessing and is told in a frank and realistic manner.
I loved the way the ending kept winding in different experiences for all of the cast, and was left very satisfied.
Do yourself a favour and read this book.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
October 21, 2021
Ok I have to admit, I borrowed this on a whim from my local library/Borrow Box based just on the description and it didn’t occur to me that it might’ve been connected to another book. But when I began reading it, I got the feeling that I was definitely missing something and that a lot of things were being talked of like I should know the background or how this character had feelings for that character, etc. I looked it up and there’s a previous book by the author from about 2012, that deals with Sahar’s friend Samira, who appears pretty regularly in this book and I assume all the background of these characters are given during Samira’s story (which sounds really interesting and I definitely want to read it now).
But this book kicks off with Sahar arriving on her friend Lara’s doorstep, unannounced, having left her husband and marriage in Jordan where she has lived for the past 7 or 8 years. Sahar appears to have always been a rather devout Muslim, but right now, she seems to be having a bit of a personal and even religious crisis. Her marriage is over, incidents have happened that have tested her. She is on the cusp of a new beginning, that means living with Lara in Sydney and getting a job at a well known and popular pasty cafe and sweets place. Before marrying, Sahar made cakes and ran her own small business but in this new job, she’s starting at the bottom and working her way up. She bonds with her fellow workers, even the grumpy and intense Luke, after a rough start and together they implement a sort of challenge for Sahar, where they will all give her things to do that take her out of her comfort zone. Lara and Samira join in too, adding their choices.
This book is told in a back and forth kind of way, with sections in the present day during Sahar’s arrival back in Sydney interspersed with snippets of her life and marriage in Jordan, beginning in the first year and moving forward. Slowly, Sahar’s story is revealed and the reader learns what her marriage was like, how her feelings evolved, the struggle she faced and the tragedy that at last drove her to leave her husband and marriage and return to Australia, where she grew up. You could tell how affected Sahar was by what had happened and how she couldn’t talk about it yet, even with her closest friends. For her, I think there was also a lot of confusion and maybe not shame, but something similar, about the way things had gone in Jordan. A lot of complex feelings to work through and things to come to terms with.
I really enjoyed this and found it incredibly easy to read in a single sitting. I liked that Sahar is somewhat a bit older than books that usually deal with people trying to find themselves – she was probably closer to my own age (late 30s) and struggling at times, with the frustration of being a ‘beginner’ in the pastry place, to wanting more freedom and the chance to showcase her talents, express herself. She’s also somewhat struggling with who she is as a person, choosing to change some things about herself, things about her religious expression and also finding her self-confidence again, recentering herself. I thought Sahar’s journey was so well explored and I loved her growing friendships with Kat and Inez from the pastry place.
There’s a bit of a romance with Luke, who is a talented chocolate worker and I also liked that it was not all smooth sailing. For a start it’s complicated because they work together and both of them have a lot of issues that they need to overcome. The conflict and the resolutions felt realistic, two people negotiating something that neither of them had expected (or maybe even wanted) but that they thought could really be something.
I really liked all the characters (definitely want to know more about Lara’s background and how she came to be in the relationship she’s in at the beginning of this book) and so I am off to hopefully find a copy of Samira’s story, Courting Samira which will hopefully give me all the background information I should’ve had before reading this one. Having said that though, I think you can still definitely read this without having read that first book – this is really Sahar’s story and although she references her friends and their individual situations, the journey she takes is the focus.
But this book kicks off with Sahar arriving on her friend Lara’s doorstep, unannounced, having left her husband and marriage in Jordan where she has lived for the past 7 or 8 years. Sahar appears to have always been a rather devout Muslim, but right now, she seems to be having a bit of a personal and even religious crisis. Her marriage is over, incidents have happened that have tested her. She is on the cusp of a new beginning, that means living with Lara in Sydney and getting a job at a well known and popular pasty cafe and sweets place. Before marrying, Sahar made cakes and ran her own small business but in this new job, she’s starting at the bottom and working her way up. She bonds with her fellow workers, even the grumpy and intense Luke, after a rough start and together they implement a sort of challenge for Sahar, where they will all give her things to do that take her out of her comfort zone. Lara and Samira join in too, adding their choices.
This book is told in a back and forth kind of way, with sections in the present day during Sahar’s arrival back in Sydney interspersed with snippets of her life and marriage in Jordan, beginning in the first year and moving forward. Slowly, Sahar’s story is revealed and the reader learns what her marriage was like, how her feelings evolved, the struggle she faced and the tragedy that at last drove her to leave her husband and marriage and return to Australia, where she grew up. You could tell how affected Sahar was by what had happened and how she couldn’t talk about it yet, even with her closest friends. For her, I think there was also a lot of confusion and maybe not shame, but something similar, about the way things had gone in Jordan. A lot of complex feelings to work through and things to come to terms with.
I really enjoyed this and found it incredibly easy to read in a single sitting. I liked that Sahar is somewhat a bit older than books that usually deal with people trying to find themselves – she was probably closer to my own age (late 30s) and struggling at times, with the frustration of being a ‘beginner’ in the pastry place, to wanting more freedom and the chance to showcase her talents, express herself. She’s also somewhat struggling with who she is as a person, choosing to change some things about herself, things about her religious expression and also finding her self-confidence again, recentering herself. I thought Sahar’s journey was so well explored and I loved her growing friendships with Kat and Inez from the pastry place.
There’s a bit of a romance with Luke, who is a talented chocolate worker and I also liked that it was not all smooth sailing. For a start it’s complicated because they work together and both of them have a lot of issues that they need to overcome. The conflict and the resolutions felt realistic, two people negotiating something that neither of them had expected (or maybe even wanted) but that they thought could really be something.
I really liked all the characters (definitely want to know more about Lara’s background and how she came to be in the relationship she’s in at the beginning of this book) and so I am off to hopefully find a copy of Samira’s story, Courting Samira which will hopefully give me all the background information I should’ve had before reading this one. Having said that though, I think you can still definitely read this without having read that first book – this is really Sahar’s story and although she references her friends and their individual situations, the journey she takes is the focus.
January 30, 2023
This was exactly the novel I was looking for: Muslim rep with an Australian vibe where we're just allowed to exist and consider out our place in the world from a personal perspective. It was so affirming for me to see the juxtaposition of multiple Muslim characters, as well as seeing Australian characters with diverse backgrounds just hanging out together.
Sahar has returned to Sydney after her marriage in Jordan has fallen apart. Sometimes people don't ultimately work well together, and sometimes the life doesn't work out the way you expected. Sahar's story is such a great representation of a major life change on the back of a negative experience. She thinks about who she was and why, and what was important to her before the change. With the respectful (if sometimes over-enthusiastic) support of her friends and work colleagues, Sahar begins an experience experiment to work out who she is now: they make her a list of experiences to try (if she is comfortable doing so) . Interspaced between her finding herself and The Experiment, Sahar finds solace in re-finding her connection with creating sweets in a local patisserie. Those food-creation descriptions were like listening to someone talk about their passion and just letting them enjoy the moment.
I will point out that Sahar goes from being a relatively conservative hijabi in her youth (described in flashbacks and conversations) to choosing to no longer cover her hair as an adult slowly approaching forty (when we meet her). Some readers will not approve of Sahar's personal choices but I stress that she is still Muslim. We are not a monolith, and different Muslims will express and present themselves very differently, especially in the context of living in a non-Muslim country. Further, I have witnessed this sort of thing before (and not just with Muslims) where the end of a significant relationship heralds a crisis of self, so Sahar's journey has the ring of truth to it. I know this novel won't be for every reader, but it was the novel for me.
Sahar has returned to Sydney after her marriage in Jordan has fallen apart. Sometimes people don't ultimately work well together, and sometimes the life doesn't work out the way you expected. Sahar's story is such a great representation of a major life change on the back of a negative experience. She thinks about who she was and why, and what was important to her before the change. With the respectful (if sometimes over-enthusiastic) support of her friends and work colleagues, Sahar begins an experience experiment to work out who she is now: they make her a list of experiences to try (if she is comfortable doing so) . Interspaced between her finding herself and The Experiment, Sahar finds solace in re-finding her connection with creating sweets in a local patisserie. Those food-creation descriptions were like listening to someone talk about their passion and just letting them enjoy the moment.
I will point out that Sahar goes from being a relatively conservative hijabi in her youth (described in flashbacks and conversations) to choosing to no longer cover her hair as an adult slowly approaching forty (when we meet her). Some readers will not approve of Sahar's personal choices but I stress that she is still Muslim. We are not a monolith, and different Muslims will express and present themselves very differently, especially in the context of living in a non-Muslim country. Further, I have witnessed this sort of thing before (and not just with Muslims) where the end of a significant relationship heralds a crisis of self, so Sahar's journey has the ring of truth to it. I know this novel won't be for every reader, but it was the novel for me.
January 9, 2022
If this book was a box of chocolates I would have eaten them all in one sitting and then licked the box clean 🍫I devoured this book in two sittings, it was perfection ❤️
Sahar is an Arabic Australian woman who has left her husband and her life in Jordan to return to Australia and begin again in her home country. But she is not the same woman that left as a young bride.
Luckily for Sahar her beautiful friends support her through the challenges of self discovery as a newly single 40 year old woman. Lara and Samira could not be more different but they too are on their own paths of discovery balancing religion and contemporary culture.
This book speaks to the value of female friendship. There is a strength in Sahar that had me cheering for her and her journey to happiness throughout this book.
But it’s when Sahar begins working at a patisseie and chocolate shop that this book provides some lighter content and we get an enemies to lovers romance 👏🏼, a list of “firsts” experiences for Sahar to try {getting drunk, trapeze and dancing just to name a few} ✍️ and a cast of diverse characters that add depth and just the right amount of fun to this book.
This is not about Sahar snubbing her Muslim heritage and religion. This is about a woman questioning a life that up until she was 40 she had been told not to question.
This is my book club book for January and I cannot wait to discuss this with my new friends over a wine 🍷
Sahar is an Arabic Australian woman who has left her husband and her life in Jordan to return to Australia and begin again in her home country. But she is not the same woman that left as a young bride.
Luckily for Sahar her beautiful friends support her through the challenges of self discovery as a newly single 40 year old woman. Lara and Samira could not be more different but they too are on their own paths of discovery balancing religion and contemporary culture.
This book speaks to the value of female friendship. There is a strength in Sahar that had me cheering for her and her journey to happiness throughout this book.
But it’s when Sahar begins working at a patisseie and chocolate shop that this book provides some lighter content and we get an enemies to lovers romance 👏🏼, a list of “firsts” experiences for Sahar to try {getting drunk, trapeze and dancing just to name a few} ✍️ and a cast of diverse characters that add depth and just the right amount of fun to this book.
This is not about Sahar snubbing her Muslim heritage and religion. This is about a woman questioning a life that up until she was 40 she had been told not to question.
This is my book club book for January and I cannot wait to discuss this with my new friends over a wine 🍷
November 1, 2021
I feel a special thrill whenever an author reaches out to offer me their work. After reading and reviewing Awad’s first novel, Courting Samira, way back in 2012, I wrote a review, as I often do, and since then she has very generously shared her work with me.
Now I’m not saying the delicious block of mint chocolate (my favourite) included in the parcel has influenced this review, but I am saying it was delicious!
First Samira, then Lara, now it is Sahar’s story, and it is a dark and painful story to read. Sahar was the pious one, the most conservative, the most traditional. Of course she agreed to marry and travel to Jordan. But it is 7 years later now and Sahar is back in Australia, and in the arms of her beautiful friends. As Sahar navigates all that it means to have returned to Sydney, her friends face the challenge of being the right kind of support to their friend who has changed so much.
Reading this book was like catching up with old friends. I feel so lucky to have learnt so much from reading Awad’s work across several books about the complexity of being an Arab Australian woman and navigating the complexity of generational and religious expectation. How good is chic lit that helps you become more empathetic. I loved being back in Samira, Lara and Sahar’s stories. Thank you, Amal, for trusting me with your work.
Now I’m not saying the delicious block of mint chocolate (my favourite) included in the parcel has influenced this review, but I am saying it was delicious!
First Samira, then Lara, now it is Sahar’s story, and it is a dark and painful story to read. Sahar was the pious one, the most conservative, the most traditional. Of course she agreed to marry and travel to Jordan. But it is 7 years later now and Sahar is back in Australia, and in the arms of her beautiful friends. As Sahar navigates all that it means to have returned to Sydney, her friends face the challenge of being the right kind of support to their friend who has changed so much.
Reading this book was like catching up with old friends. I feel so lucky to have learnt so much from reading Awad’s work across several books about the complexity of being an Arab Australian woman and navigating the complexity of generational and religious expectation. How good is chic lit that helps you become more empathetic. I loved being back in Samira, Lara and Sahar’s stories. Thank you, Amal, for trusting me with your work.
September 28, 2021
There are a few books atm that have similar names and covers so it was a bit confusing to realise this was a whole other book that was only published last month. I found the audio version on Libby and just finished. It's a lovely gentle fiction set in Sydney. The main character is female and moved to Jordan to be married but returned 8 years later, alone.
It opens up a world of Arabic speaking people and the younger generations dealing with the strictness of their upbringing and beginning to explore the world outside. She works in a patisserie and there's delicious chocolate making as well as past and future romance and engaging varied characters. It's a gentle story and I absolutely LOVED the narration and the Arabic names that were softly pronounced. I also just found the kindle version is quite cheap, so easy to snap up, but if you like audios, I highly recommend listening.
It has similar themes to my own memoir 'Revenge of the Wilting Flower,' my story of trying to come to terms with having been raised in a strict religion and attempting to integrate, also based in Sydney.
It opens up a world of Arabic speaking people and the younger generations dealing with the strictness of their upbringing and beginning to explore the world outside. She works in a patisserie and there's delicious chocolate making as well as past and future romance and engaging varied characters. It's a gentle story and I absolutely LOVED the narration and the Arabic names that were softly pronounced. I also just found the kindle version is quite cheap, so easy to snap up, but if you like audios, I highly recommend listening.
It has similar themes to my own memoir 'Revenge of the Wilting Flower,' my story of trying to come to terms with having been raised in a strict religion and attempting to integrate, also based in Sydney.
June 10, 2023
A coming of age story with a difference.
Sahar was a conservative young woman and deeply religious when she left Australia for Jordan and married Khaled, a man she hardly knew.
We meet Sahar 8 years later when she has returned to Australia without her husband. It seems that despite being told how free she was, she didn't feel free at all to pursue her own interests or desires. She sums it up at one point as always being able to fit into the small spaces that other people made for her.
Now she is back, approaching her 40s, and she is rekindling friendships with two of her best friends. She wants to explore life without a head scarf, life where she can live on her own and pursue creative and professional choices. Although it may sound like the book may be politicised, it is not at all which is what I enjoyed about it.
Sahar has already made these decisions and if it was a book about her deciding to leave Jordan it would have been much more heavy. Instead it is a light and fun book focused on female friendships and Sahar's journey to rediscover who she is.
With a unique voice (an Australian muslim woman), I can't think of any other book like it. Lovely read.
Sahar was a conservative young woman and deeply religious when she left Australia for Jordan and married Khaled, a man she hardly knew.
We meet Sahar 8 years later when she has returned to Australia without her husband. It seems that despite being told how free she was, she didn't feel free at all to pursue her own interests or desires. She sums it up at one point as always being able to fit into the small spaces that other people made for her.
Now she is back, approaching her 40s, and she is rekindling friendships with two of her best friends. She wants to explore life without a head scarf, life where she can live on her own and pursue creative and professional choices. Although it may sound like the book may be politicised, it is not at all which is what I enjoyed about it.
Sahar has already made these decisions and if it was a book about her deciding to leave Jordan it would have been much more heavy. Instead it is a light and fun book focused on female friendships and Sahar's journey to rediscover who she is.
With a unique voice (an Australian muslim woman), I can't think of any other book like it. Lovely read.
June 27, 2021
Sahar grew up in a strict Muslim family in suburban Sydney. Eight years ago, she moved to Jordan to marry Khaled - her happy ever after. However, in the opening if The Things We See in the Light, we find Sahar back in Sydney, on her childhood friends doorstep - alone. What follows is a journey of self discovery as Sahar, with the help of old and new friends, begins to question everything she has ever known and tries to finally find her true self.
Awads magnificent prose draws you into Sahars story and makes you feel like you know Sahar. The present, alternating with the past in Jordan, helps to gradually form a picture of who Sahar is and what she has been through, to make her who she is today. I loved reading about Sahars self discovery, and also about the power of friendship - with the support and encouragement of friends, life is just that much easier and fuller.
A truly powerful book that I will be thinking about for a while!
Thanks to better reading and pantera press for the gifted copy in exchange of an honest review
February 28, 2023
This beautiful story of Sahar and her quest to restart her life will be one of the most heartwarming books I have ever read.
Sahar moves to Jordan to live with her husband whom she barely knew. With a life that is filled with secrets, questions and unhappiness, she returns to Sydney after eight years. Sahar’s attempt to restart her life the way she wants to live is not easy as she thought it to be. Friends have moved on and life looks different to how it was and she is scared of restarting. She joins a patisserie, where her manager and colleagues help her explore this new time of her life, and helps her get more experience. Being someone who grew up with conservative values, she struggles to overcome the guilt and embrace the change.
This book is so beautifully written with an amazing style of writing. We are exposed to the musings of Sahar and experience so many beautiful and tender emotions of love, friendship and life. Interspersed with yummiest food and chocolate, this book is a wonderful delight to read!
Sahar moves to Jordan to live with her husband whom she barely knew. With a life that is filled with secrets, questions and unhappiness, she returns to Sydney after eight years. Sahar’s attempt to restart her life the way she wants to live is not easy as she thought it to be. Friends have moved on and life looks different to how it was and she is scared of restarting. She joins a patisserie, where her manager and colleagues help her explore this new time of her life, and helps her get more experience. Being someone who grew up with conservative values, she struggles to overcome the guilt and embrace the change.
This book is so beautifully written with an amazing style of writing. We are exposed to the musings of Sahar and experience so many beautiful and tender emotions of love, friendship and life. Interspersed with yummiest food and chocolate, this book is a wonderful delight to read!
August 8, 2022
I enjoyed this book. I liked the way it was written, and the character of Sahar, and the friends, the co-workers and the other minor characters. It’s a book about taking control of one’s life, making your own choices and independence. This is a story about friendship, and our romance but most of all, it is about doing something that you love and in this I stance, Sahar loves to bake. The baking imagery in this book is amazing, and it made me want to take up baking. The story follows Sahar, who has returned to Sydney after leaving her husband, in Jordan, whom she spent eight years with and his controlling ways. She arrives, unannounced, on the doorstop of her friend Lara’s house and her journey of self-discovery begins.
“I’m still sorting through the wreckage, but as I look around the room, I realise something profound. My friends are here. And there it is: a glimpse of my true foundation, the thing that holds me in place no matter the weather.”
“I’m still sorting through the wreckage, but as I look around the room, I realise something profound. My friends are here. And there it is: a glimpse of my true foundation, the thing that holds me in place no matter the weather.”
September 17, 2021
This is a beautifully emotive story of growth and reinvention. Sahar is a character that evokes both sorrow and joy in the reader as she experiences a complete transformation from her old life to her new.
We see her reignite lifelong friendships with the women that she grew up with, as well as forge new ones with some very warm and witty characters that she meets while working at her new job at the bakery. With the support and encouragement of those around her, Sahar challenges her religious and moral ideals and how they have shaped her. She redefines herself, challenging the structures that have previously held her, in the process Sahar discovers herself, like a glittering butterfly 🦋
I enjoyed this journey with Sahar, and loved watching her bloom. Of course there is a delicious love interest too, which was the icing on the cake (pardon the pun). I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
We see her reignite lifelong friendships with the women that she grew up with, as well as forge new ones with some very warm and witty characters that she meets while working at her new job at the bakery. With the support and encouragement of those around her, Sahar challenges her religious and moral ideals and how they have shaped her. She redefines herself, challenging the structures that have previously held her, in the process Sahar discovers herself, like a glittering butterfly 🦋
I enjoyed this journey with Sahar, and loved watching her bloom. Of course there is a delicious love interest too, which was the icing on the cake (pardon the pun). I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
January 13, 2025
I think this is the third book in a loose trilogy describing the lives of young Muslim women friends in Sydney. The first two featured the lives of Samira and Lara and this one is Samir’s story. She was the quietest and probably most devout of the 3. The story starts with her return from a marriage in Jordan and continues with her finding her way with the help of her 2 oldest friends and a collection of new ones. She is a creator of foods and an embryonic explorer of possibilities. This is a very enjoyable read, sensitive and moving, never falling into melodrama. The almost matter of fact nature of the story and the characters is very warming and there is a lot of cross-cultural learning. I won’t go back and read the other two, “Courting Samira” and “This is How You Get Better” but I kind of wish I’d read them first.
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