The Writing on My Forehead: A Novel

Nafisa Haji

Feb 2009 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

A free-spirited and rebellious Muslim-American of Indo-Pakistani descent, willful, intelligent Saira Qader rejected the constricting notions of family, duty, obligation, and fate, choosing instead to become a journalist, making the world her home. But when tragedy strikes, throwing Saira's life into turmoil, the woman who circled the globe to uncover the details of other lives must confront the truths of her own. In need of understanding, she looks to the stories of those who came before—her grandparents, a beloved aunt, her mother and father. As Saira discovers the hope, pain, joy, and passion that defined their lives, she begins to face what she never wanted to admit: that choice is not always our own, and that faith is not merely an intellectual preference.

Ratings and reviews

I was completely taken by this beautifully written debut Novel by Nafisa Haji to the point that I had to read it twice to fully savour the rich prose with which this author writes. The Writing on My Forehead(which in many cultures denotes "destiny" or "kismet" --- a hidden meaning as the author uses a more literal reference in the book)is a mesmerizing story about Saira Qader, a rebellious second-generation immigrant woman, and her journey to find herself, to come to terms with a recent haunting tradegy, and above all to give meaning to her life. As a journalist travelling all over the world to bear witness, she revisits, unearths, learns from, and is inspired by the "devilish details" in the wisdom of old multi-generational stories of her family that grew up in the Indian Sub Continent---stories of courage, scandals, and independence. This book has rich, complex, yet touchable characters that come to life and stay with the reader much after the last page. For a debut novel, this is a six star performance and I remain eager to read more from this author in years to come. Highly recommended !!!

I started reading this book at a time when I was very lost as a south-Asian american woman and felt that I should have answers to my life. Saira is a young woman who is never afraid to ask and to search for those answers. To take us through different stories and offer both sides of the coin, so we can see the right and wrong from many eyes and many hearts. She teaches us that we are never too old to keep asking and not all answers are things we can understand. Her storey has revived me in unexpected ways.

This book touched me on so many levels. Being a liberal woman, and product of the '60's, it never ceases to amaze me, though we may try to be in denial of the fact, how much we are all affected by racism, religious and cultural differences. To quote the Beatles...'and in the end, the love we take is equal to the love we make'. Hmmmm.

About the author

Nafisa Haji's first novel, The Writing on My Forehead, was a finalist for the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association Book of the Year Award. An American of Indo-Pakistani descent, she was born and raised in Los Angeles and now lives in northern California with her husband and son.