Book Review: Rekiyah & Z by Muti’ah Badrudeen
The book was written from the perspective of 2 women, who were bound together by ties of Islam and friendship. These two women met as high school teenagers and had no idea how their friendship would stand the test of time and trauma. They were so different, Rekiya, the daughter from a secret marriage, and Zaynunah from a modest religious home. Their relationship was strained by trauma, religious meltdowns and depression only to be reignited by the mutual loss of Z’s mother.
Reading the book will tell you how long their friendship can be stretched. Will they find common ground? Will they open up to each other? Can they bring back their teenage friendship?
Here are some of the things that Stood out for me:
- This is my first read of an Islamic Nigerian fiction, exclusively about Nigerian Muslims, the practices and expectations, and it is written by a Nigerian Muslim (who is a niqabi herself).
- The interchange of events, current & past, and thoughts of both women. This made going into their minds and experiencing with them easier.
- How it touches on diverse themes such as GBV, loss, trauma, identity, islam, polygamy, and realities of Muslim women in Nigeria.
- Inclusion of duas, the authenticity of presenting Islam and how we all struggle with it.
- A realistic ending.
What I didn’t like:
- A painful read that is highly triggering as the author delivers heart-hurting experiences.
- There was no breathing room to celebrate wins with the lead character, life almost always happens to her as soon as she makes a little headway.
Trigger Warnings⚠️
- Sexual Assault
- Childhood Trauma
- Death
Review Summary
It’s a good read, not exactly a page-turner for me but I like the writing style. I like that she shared thoughts and events interchangeably, it helps one understand both characters better. It’s my first full fiction centered on Nigerian Muslims. I liked how she didn’t see the need to make Muslims perfect. It discusses a lot of societal issues and the spiritual struggles of Muslims. She manages to keep it concise also. I didn’t expect the ending though, I had hoped for a happy ending for Rekiya. The ending was realistic though because after beating all odds Nigeria will still end you. It’s a whooping 4star.