![]() In this story, however, the girls experience no miraculous transformation. Many tales of orphaned children spin off similarly: the orphan makes a fool of the wicked family member charged to care for the child, or the downtrodden youngster sets out on an epic adventure, discovering a hidden talent or treasure or great love. In doing so, they fulfill their dying mother’s wish: “Keep them close. Despite their arguments and frustrations with one another-normal occurrences in any sibling relationship-the sisters are fiercely loyal to one another, loving and depending on each other over the years. ![]() Kausar wrestles with her identity and understanding of gender over the course of the book, while her oldest sister, Noreen, takes on the mothering role of the trio. I won’t be a crybaby anymore.” She gets angry and lashes out at her sister Aisha, who’s also struggling with her own anger. Through Kausar, the third daughter and narrator of the novel, we experience the acute grief of this young girl. ![]() ![]() Sent to live with an uncle they barely know, the girls rely on one another as they navigate their grief, American culture, and a life with little family or support. Longlisted for both the National Book Award for Fiction and the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, When We Were Sisters explores the bonds between three Muslim American sisters who are left to raise one another after the deaths of their parents. ![]()
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