Hope You Are Satisfied

by Tania Malik

The Sheik is pissed. Along with his wives and children, the Sheik got put on the wrong plane, and ended up waiting hours in the desert on a hot tarmac for a crew that never came. As usual– it’s Riya’s fault.

Riya works for Discover Arabia, a rinky-dink tour guide company in the far-flung desert outpost of Dubai. It’s 1990, and the city’s iconic skyline, along with its global reputation, remains but a gleam in developers’ eyes. For twenty-five year-old Riya, Dubai is a desert purgatory that spreads out between her family back home in India, and an as-yet-defined future ahead of her. If she belongs to anything, it is to the city’s transient underclass of young people from South Asia, Africa, and Europe who arrive with the ubiquitous goal of earning more than they could at home.

Will a favor from Dubai’s most notorious fixer get Riya back in everyone’s good graces? Or will the impending possibility of an invasion by Saddam Hussein make Riya’s problems (along with everyone else’s) a moot point?

Author Tania Malik presents a lovably sarcastic cast of misfits who will undo the “guest worker” stereotype one tequila shot at a time, while around them, international arms dealers, American soldiers, CIA consultants, corrupt bosses, and wayward vacationers all compete for Discover Arabia’s attention, even as their world teeters on the cusp of an explosive global conflict.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

228 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 2023

About the author

Tania Malik was born in New Delhi, educated in boarding schools in the Himalayas, and raised in India, Africa, and the Middle East. She is the author of the novels THREE BARGAINS and HOPE YOU ARE SATISFIED.

Reviews

[Atharv G.]

There's a lot going on in this short novel, perhaps too much, but I was won over by Riya. The narrative voice is unique and the book is well-written, which left more for me to chew on beyond the zany plot. We follow Riya during a short period of great uncertainty in her life, which is reflected (and compounded) by the instability of the Persian Gulf region on the eve of the Gulf War. I thought the time and place brought something new to the well-trodden story of a young person trying to figure out what they want in life - and what they can realistically achieve for themselves given external constraints. I enjoyed following Riya through increasingly tense (and somewhat absurd) circumstances that forced her to quickly decide what aspects of her life were most important to her. For such a short novel, the character relationships also felt sufficiently fleshed out. I came to care for Riya's relationships with her friends.

[Robert Intriago]





This is the story of an Indian woman that is working under contract at a travel agency in Dubai at the time Iraq invaded Kuwait. She has the job so that she can send money back to India in order to help her mother and dying sister. Dubai at that time was a sleepy town that Europeans visited during the winter for a cheap vacation. The author does a good job of making the story entertaining and detailing what life in an Arab country is for a contract worker and the locals. It is a light and interesting story that dwells into the first Gulf War from the Arab perspective. The author tries to insert some hilarity into the story but it fails in my opinion. On the other hand the plot conveys how children in other countries are expected to take care of their families and the lengths that they will go to in order to achieve it.

[Veerle]

Riya, a girl from India, works for Discover Arabia, a travel company in Dubai that employs mostly foreigners. We get a view of Dubai in 1990, and the background are the tensions between Iraq and Kuwait so the company sees the amount of customers dwindling. We follow Riya and her fellow expats who try to make a better life for themselves and their families back home while they dream of the big destinations such as Canada and the USA against the backdrop of moaning and silly tourists, every day life and corruption.

The book presents a view on what expat life is like. Having studied abroad for a while, I did recognise some of the emotions and situations. What also fascinated me is that people go and do these kind of (and other jobs) to give their families a better life. That's not something I tend to encounter in my everyday life.

Riya is a loveable protaganist and I chuckled when I found out she has flaws too. I loved how she and her friends did loads of things they weren't supposed to do in Dubai. Maybe the characters could have been a bit more fleshed out, but then again: how well do you get to know people you know you will say goodbye to after a while.

The story is well written and is an easy read. Thank you NetGalley and Verve books for the ARC.

[Book Lover]

I loved this witty, darkly humorous take on the hospitality industry, set in 1990-1991 Dubai. The writing was literary without feeling inaccessible, and I loved the misfit cast of characters each struggling with their own families, obligations, pressures, and cultures.

The author deftly incorporated the impending war and all the feelings that surrounded that. I just thought the whole book was very nicely pulled together.

If you’re looking for a plot-driven literary fiction novel that incorporates world history, this one was great!

[Karin]

I read a third of this book, determined to like it because I've met Indian people who grew up in Arabic countries, including Dubai, because their parents worked there. However, I didn't think it was very funny and just couldn't get into the main character enough--I understood her desire to help her family, but I just didn't like her as a person enough to keep going. I liked her roommate better.

[Violet]

A fun novel, about a young woman from India trying to make it out in Dubai in the 1990s. It was fun and adventurous, a lot lighter than I imagined it would be and the 1990s Dubai setting felt a bit like it could have been anywhere else, despite a few details to add flavour. Fun but not particularly memorable.

Free ARC sent by Netgalley.

[Miki]

*4.5 stars

Let me preface this review with a confession: I’ve lived in Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar in the Gulf as an expat (after the Gulf War in 1990–1991), and I absolutely felt a connection to the protagonist, Riya, and her cohort of colleagues (Grace, Cedric Uday, Amir, Rohit, Hanna, Jette, and Freddy, et al.) at Discover Arabia as they do their best to keep all of their clients happy and navigate living life in the desert. So, my opinions about this fantastic novel are 100% biased. And although I have not lived in the UAE as an expat, I have visited and have friends who work there and have had similar experiences to Riya and her gang.

Hope You Are Satisfied primarily focuses on Riya prior to the Gulf War as she works to send most of her earnings “back home” (to India) to support her mother and sister and her father who has left the three for another woman and the dream of opening a new restaurant. Riya acknowledges that all of her co-workers may have various reasons for moving to Dubai but believes that it mainly comes down to money where earnings are higher.

From the outset, it’s clear that Riya isn’t her boss’ favourite. But Simon, her boss, has her do a job for a special contact, César, and the stakes are high, especially as this story is set against the backdrop of countries in the Gulf fraught with tension as they wait to see what Iraq (Saddam Hussein) will do.

While I’m not always a fan of fiction that is more plot-heavy, what I loved about Malik’s story were the relationships between Riya and Grace, Riya and Lucy – her sister, Riya and an American, Jack – deployed with the US Military – and Riya and Freddy. Riya’s character development and her eventual confession show how much she grows during the story and how she acknowledges how others have helped her and how she has accomplished things on her own. It’s a story of strong, female autonomy, and in a country where expats are ranked based on their skin colour, it’s empowering to hear how Riya speaks to Simon at the end of the story as she advocates for Grace, her colleague, roommate, and friend.

And you can’t tell me that Malik didn’t set the scene perfectly for readers! There were moments when I was transported back in time to the hot and dry days of December when I lived in the Gulf and was thankful not to have to shovel snow that was knee high back at home in Canada! The scenes in the souk, the airport, and – of course – the desert reminded me of a life and home that always, in the weirdest ways, when I least expect it.

If you’re a fan of sojourner fiction, stories about expats, relationships, and/or personal growth and development, then this could absolutely be for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and VERVE Books for an ARC of Tania Malik’s novel, Hope You Are Satisfied!

[Thebooktrail]

Discover the locations in the novel here


This is a quirky read ( as the cover might suggest) but it’s also very insightful and complex with its subject matters.

It’s a snapshot of life in 1990s Dubai as the city is going through some major changes and with a war rumbling in the background.

The city really does come to life as does the unique lifestyle and culture. There are visits to the souk and well it’s just a delight for the senses. It was interesting to see how the young Riya who works there mixes her Indian family ties with her new Dubai life. The problem of all expats but her story was particularly interesting.

There are many people like her in the city and their experiences are woven into the narrative. Riya is their spokesperson if you like, and we see through her how life can get tricky. Who do you call when you are a million miles away from home?

This is a good look at expat life – I was cringing and laughing at some moments but all good! Dubai sounds…oddly fascinating but I’m sure I wouldn’t survive there.

What a way to experience it though as closely as you can via a book.

[Shannon Takaoka]

Hope You Are Satisfied is a novel that perfectly captures a very specific feeling – one of being stuck waiting for something to start, knowing that when it does all hell might break loose, and the potent mix of anxiety, tension, and recklessness that a state of prolonged purgatory can bring. There’s Dubai, caught in the cross hairs of Saddam Hussein on the eve of the first Gulf War: will this city on the come up dodge the worst of the coming storm or lose it all? There are the guest workers who have come to make better money than they could in their homelands, unsure if they should stay or get out before it’s too late. And there is Riya, one of those 20-something workers, who is not only waiting, like everyone else, for what comes next, but also waiting for the rest of her life to start. In an effort to break free of the rut she finds herself in – a job with no long-term prospects for advancement, a country with no path to citizenship and a life of tourists by day/parties by night that feels permanently temporary – she gets involved in a potentially lucrative assignment that might be a lot more than she bargained for. This novel has a great cast of characters (and a setting that serves as a main character in its own right) and did I also mention it’s funny? It’s like one part espionage thriller, one part travel/coming-of-age story, and one part The Office. Excellent summer read!

[David]

This novel is such a fun read. Taking the reader back to Dubai at the onset of the first Iraq war, we are transported to an exotic world that is very different yet similar to the Dubai of today. Malik’s authenticity makes you feel like you are one of the group of foreign travel agency employees the story revolves around. Riya, the main character isn’t privileged or perfect but her flaws make her real and lovable. Her handling of a situation with 2 Swiss tourists is touching and heart- wrenching; the friendship with colleagues Grace and Freddy beautiful; her strength during the novels climax thrilling. Everyone should read this incredibly enjoyable novel!

[வெண்nila]

If the title was an instruction to the reader, then absolutely yes!

Hope You Are Satisfied uncovers stories that are seldom told, yet reflect the everyday reality for a large diaspora living in the Middle East. Drawn by the opportunity to relieve economic stresses in their homeland and fulfill familial obligations, the book brings together a group of expats from India, Africa, UK, and even the US. Tania Malik signifies the mosaic of cultures even in subtle ways:

We emerged from the ruins of Bastakiya and made our way to the Tex-Mex restaurant Pancho Villa's, which served the usual variety of tacos, burritos, and chimichangas prepared by Indian cooks with ingredients sourced from places like Brazil and Denmark and, if we were lucky, avocados from Kenya.

Bonded by the fear and uncertainties of the Gulf War brewing, Hope You Are Satisfied follows the employees of the tour agency, Discover Arabia, from the viewpoint of Riya, the eldest daughter of an Indian household who is the primary breadwinner for her mother and sister back home. With tourism dwindling, Riya and her peers lean into each other for comfort as one another's chosen families. The book removes the rose-tinted glasses from Dubai to expose how the desperate circumstances of these employees are exploited, forcing many to live double lives. Riya's emboldened character development without compromising on her relationships speaks to her intelligence and grit to overcome the cards unfairly dealt to her. Tania Malik has a beautiful writing style with vivid descriptions that paints the storytelling with so much colour.

"You can count the hairs on his head but not the money to his name" was what everyone said of César Rodriguez

Having grown up in the Middle East with a parent working in the hospitality industry, I've long known about the strict conditions expats are riddled with (ex. employer withholding passport), but this is a perspective that I have not previously observed in other novels. While my personal experience enriched this book further, Malik's writing style certainly makes this a compelling read for anyone who enjoys a strong character arc.

[Olga Zilberbourg]

Riya, an expat from India, works at a travel agency in Dubai. The year is 1990 and Saddam Hussein has just attacked Kuwait. USA is about to retaliate, and everyone employed in the tourist industry in Dubai is either leaving or holding their breath, hoping that the storm will somehow blow the other way. Riya has some money troubles, and also a whole bunch of personal ties that make it difficult for her to leave. To earn some cash, she gets embroiled in a smuggling plot with CIA possibly involved. The plot is quite exciting, and it's supported by amazing scene setting and character building. There are so many things you're not supposed to do when you're a foreigner in Dubai (drink alcohol, for instance, or have premarital sex, and certainly getting pregnant is off-limits), and there are so many ways for 20-somethings to push against these limits, to create their own normal. This novel was a total thrill, and found the ending just right -- so hard to pull off.

[Greg Zimmerman]

When you think of Dubai, you think of gleaming office towers, ultra luxury resorts, and money money money. But it certainly wasn't always that way.

This fascinating novel takes us to Dubai in late 1990, as Saddam Hussein has just invaded Kuwait, and Dubai's small but growing population of mostly immigrants there to work and send money home, is trying to figure out what war might mean for their livelihoods. They're also trying to navigate love and politics and just managing to keep their heads above water. What will they be willing to do in order to make ends meet? What does "ends meet" even mean?

I got to meet the author at an event, and she is lovely, and so is this mighty little novel.

[Bryony]

We follow Riya, who has moved from her home country to work as a contract worker in Dubai for a tour company. This covers 5 months from the end of 1990 to the start of 1991, detailing her life as a contract worker, the laws and culture of Dubai, and the pressure Riya is under to send money home to her mum and sick sister. As well as the start of the war between the US and Iraq.

I liked the writing style, with Riya recounting experiences with her colleagues and friends as well as what she is doing in the time period covered. She gets embroiled in a scheme and has to use her experience and natural charm and ability to talk to people to ensure her own survival. This isn't going to be a memorable book but I had a good time reading it in the moment.

[Karin]

this was a solid pick (Thanks, Greg!!). It's early 90s Dubai, the city is just starting to become a major destination, and Saddam is just about to really kick things off in the ME. There's already an international cohort of young folk living here, working in the tourism industry, sending home money to family and creating their own family amongst themselves as they navigate this new culture. It's like part coming of age and part action/suspense novel. Really fun read!!

[Mythpeanut]

Not a favorite. I read it in a few hours on the plane. I kept
waiting for something to happen and when it finally did, it
was within the last 50 pages and didn't get deep. The whole
book was about the life of a visa worker who was kind of
complaining the whole time. The big reveal/plot twist was truly dumb and the protagonist is on the hook for someone else's actions? Reads like a r/AITA post. I just didn't get it.

[Sarah]

Dubai in the 90s. A ragtag group of friends and coworkers from various countries. Impending war. Some romance. Some illegal activity. This had everything and YET. There wasn’t a clear direction. Focusing on everything feels like focusing on nothing.

[Jaki]

Enjoyable quick read, a little bit of historical fiction back to a specific moment in time and space and all of its uncertainties, a little bit coming of age for our protagonist and her friends, a little bit of a thriller (in content more so than pacing).

[Marisa]

I had a great time reading this. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, the way the real world events were woven in, and the complicated and nuanced character of our protagonist, Riya. I did find it a bit slow to get to the real meat of the story, and the large cast of secondary and minor characters was difficult to keep track of at first. But I was invested the whole time in seeing things work out for Riya, and once the story picked up I couldn't put it down!

[Kathy]

I've never been to Dubai, so it was especially fun to get a perspective of that part of the world. Also very interesting seeing the world events of the time through those perspectives. And so great suspense!

[Madelyn]

i think i liked this but i read it at work so hard to tell. i also thought this would have a lot more commentary about the dubai labor system but it was mostly a girl really wanting to go to the US so that pissed me off

[Roy Kenagy]

NO DMPL OR CENTRAL IOWA MAY BE TOO NEW

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[Lynn Gackenbach]

Easy story, funny characters.

[Kristen]

I just couldn't get into this one.

[J.S.]

What a fun and unexpected read! Well-defined characters in a richly described setting, taking off in a plot I never could have imagined. This creative book was just what I needed.

[Prerana Shah]

Feel like the debut was not bad but not amazing either. Didn’t leave an impression and the plot was predictable

[Nicole Knable]

I really enjoyed reading "Hope You Are Satisfied". I found myself becoming invested in the characters from the start and really wanting the best for each of them. Like Riya, the title character, I also lived and worked abroad - and reading this brought me back to that time. The ending was a surprise and not the one that I was anticipating!

I enjoyed this book so much that I bought a copy to give to one of my best friends as a gift. In addition, I bought Tania Malik's first book: "Three Bargains", which I am reading now.

I highly recommend this book!

[Marta]

3.5 ⭐️

It's more like one of those 3D postcards showing the early 90s Dubai, than a fully fleshed story.
What we do get is easy to read as we weave our way through the city and its outskirts under a growing threat of Saddam Hussein's, across the couple months of 1990 and 1991.
What we don't get is anything else besides a snapshot of the characters lives there and then, with no growth, a novella more than a novel, with an unnecessary twist and no real ending.

[Susie Green]

Hope You Are Satisfied is set in the up-and-coming city of Dubai in the early 1990’s. The story centers on Riya, a 25-year-old Indian expat working for Discover Arabia, a local tour company. Through Riya's eyes we get to see the challenges and dreams of those striving for a better life far away from home.

Set against the backdrop of the impending Gulf War, the novel does a brilliant job of drawing out the similarities between Riya’s personal turmoil and global tensions. The book captures the essence of the city and its transient inhabitants on the brink of monumental change whilst also being full of wit and dark humour! Through the characters we get to see the contradictions of Dubai, its promise of wealth and opportunity set against the stark realities faced by migrant workers.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s not just a novel about Dubai, it’s a story about longing, survival, and finding one’s place in a world that often feels indifferent to you. It’s a must-read for anyone drawn to character-driven fiction that immerses you in a time and place while exploring universal themes of identity, belonging, and resilience. The characters are complex and deeply human, each navigating personal and societal pressures with a mix of hope, cynicism, and humor. Riya’s journey is particularly compelling; she is flawed yet relatable, making her growth throughout the novel feel authentic. Highly recommend!