Episode 81: Stay Home — Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
As you know, we at Whoa!mance possess an undying reverence for yr grrl Jane (see JANEuary if you don’t), and we’re smitten with this own voices retelling of P&P. This week, Morgan and Isabeau escape to Toronto in Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, a modern Muslim twist on the Austen classic. Ayesha is an aspiring poet struggling to repay loans to her wealthy uncle, when her life collides with Khalid. While their styles and worldviews clash, there’s an unavoidable tug each feels toward the other. Can traditional and modern interpretations of Islam find a common ground of titilation? Are office dress codes tools of negation and oppression? What is the value of 100 marriage proposals if none begets a bride? This rendition may keep it sweet, but the stakes are high y’all.