Author: Helen Thurloe
ISBN: 978-1-76011-327-8
RRP: $19.99
Promising Azra is an interesting and insightful look at a completely different culture. I was a little apprehensive going in and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what I got was a captivating tale of life for a Muslim family in Sydney.
Arranged and forced marriages seem like they should be things of the past, and I actually did think they were much less common in Australia now than they once were. I remember growing up we had neighbours who arranged marriages for their sons and even then I couldn’t completely grasp it, the partners were arranged though it was left to the couples when they actually married and for the younger son it was quite late. I still can’t quite get my head around having a husband chosen for me, especially while still at high school.
In Australia girls under 18 are still being forced into marriage, often being taken from the country for this to happen. Forced marriage is not practiced in a certain culture or religion, it affects many diverse backgrounds and to ensure the practice is stopped it needs to become more widely known and the true stories of those affected need to be heard.
Promising Azra is a work of fiction, the characters are all fictional but their experiences are based on true or possible events and I think this is important info to have going in.
Armed with all of this I was still a little unsure what I was getting myself into and I anticipated quite a heavy read, I thought it would be a book that took me quite a while to get through. I was wrong! I was quickly completely immersed in the story and read it in a couple of sittings.
It has been a VERY long time since I read Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta but this resonates with a similarity. Perhaps it is just because it focuses on a different culture and how difficult it can be for teens to be true to their heritage and culture while also trying to fit in at their Australian schools. That’s not what I’m trying to say but I can’t find the right words to express what’s in my head, it’s that general idea though.
Azra Ajmal is a smart and talented sixteen year old girl attending a diverse multi-cultural girls high school. Chemistry is her strong point and that shines through every aspect of the novel. The chapter headings are chemistry terms, with their meanings, and where possible everything is compared to chemical reactions. At one point she translates a phone number into elemental numbers and I thought it was just brilliant, but chemistry was never my strong suit.
Azra knows that there will come a time she will be promised and a marriage will be arranged for her, this is something she has expected her entire life. Her hope is that she will first be able to finish high school and hopefully even study at University before that time comes. She hopes that even if she is promised she can postpone the wedding until after her studies, and her parents have always seemed quite supportive of her academic achievements so she thinks she might be in with a shot.
Starting Year 11 Azra is looking forward to her last two years of high school and hoping for university to follow, little does she know that everything is about to change. Already there is a girl in her class planning her wedding with gusto but Azra just wants to focus on school.
An interschool science quiz sets into motion a series of events that may change the course of everything. Azra, Bassima and Vanessa receive awards at the school assembly for their results in the Smart Science test. Awards that see them entered into a national science competition, and Azra thinks her biggest challenge may be getting parental permission to participate.
Promising Azra is the story of Year 11 for Azra, but more than that it’s the story of her entire family. Mother and Father indebted to Uncle for all of his assistance getting them relocated, housed and employed in Australia and his ongoing support in family matters; Azra’s older brother Rashid who seems to be rebelling against his cultural expectations as well and often taking it out on Azra; and youngest in the family Soraya who is still only very young and innocent of all that is going on around her but still feels the tensions quite strongly. As well as the family we learn a little of Azra’s best friend Bassima, who is also muslim but whose family life is very different and also very similar to Azra’s.
Thurloe tells an insightful story of sixteen year old Azra’s desire for an education, her passion for chemistry and her reluctance to enter blindly into the arrangements her family have made. The strict familial restrictions and expectations placed on her to be a good daughter, always be obedient and to help out a lot around the house. She is studying Year 11 so she has lots of homework and study to do but she needs to pick up her sister from school every day and do a lot of the cooking and cleaning at home. Her social life is extremely limited, except where they are familial occasions.
I think one of the biggest things for me was the huge contrast between the expectations of Azra and the behaviour of her older brother Rashid.
Thurloe’s characters are well developed and her storyline is solid, the tension and the pacing were engrossing and Azra’s struggle was captivating. I was pretty blown away by the last third of the book and found it quite heartbreaking to think that girls actually go through this, I can not even begin to imagine. They were certainly not things on my radar in Year 11.
My only real issue with Promising Azra is the ending, I would love to know what happens next – for all of them.
Promising Azra is a stunning debut novel and if Thurloe’s work only gets better as she hones her craft then she will definitely be one to watch.
Helen Thurloe can be followed on her Website and Twitter.
Promising Azra is available now through Allen & Unwin and from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin 25 of our Beauty and Lace club members will be reading and reviewing Promising Azra so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments. I can not wait to hear what our readers thought of this one.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
“Promising Azra” is, without doubt, one of the most brilliant books I’ve ever read. Helen Thurloe’s DEBUT novel has woven fictional characters with terrifying reality into a novel that forces you to think about issues most Australians can’t possibly imagine in this “enlightened” age.
I have never personally encountered any traditions, which some people try to pass off as religion, which harm young women. I can though, relate completely to Azra, a highly intelligent girl from a Muslim family, through her love of learning and wish to continue her studies once she completes her HSC.
Azra is in year 11, an excellent chemistry student, who wants to do what is right in her family. It is beyond belief that her older brother who is in trouble with the Law, is given more benefits than Azra at home. She is expected to do far more on the domestic scene and collect her younger sister from school daily. Her domestic duties, as far as her parents are concerned, far outweigh her studies and homework. Even a very prestigious award is not considered particularly important.
Her Father’s brother rules the families and makes decisions without anyone being allowed to, or prepared, to question. With the help of other more liberated Muslim friends and the School Counsellor, Azra is given options which can stop the forced marriage planned for her.
The way the story evolves and comes to conclusion is so sensitively written and handled. This is a book that will resonate with me for a very long time.
Thank You, Beauty and Lace, for introducing me to this wonderful book. Thank You, Helen Thurloe, for this sensitive, beautifully and powerfully written work and Thank You, Allen and Unwin for having the courage to publish something potentially controversial. Very few novels have affected me as deeply and I feel incredibly privileged to have been introduced to such a brilliant work.
Promising Azra is a must read as it sensitively deals with the difficult themes of arranged marriage, traditional cultural binds and the family expectations of second generation migrants growing up in Australia.
Azra is a smart 16 year old girl who loves chemistry and just wants to be like any other Australian girl. She wants to go to University but in a second generation migrant family who is ruled by the Uncle who assisted in their relocation; she is just a Muslim girl who must do as the family asks and expects of her. The dynamics of the family are very well developed and it interesting but not surprising to find Azra responsible for looking after her younger sister and doing far more home duties than her older brother, who is allowed so much freedom.
Although fiction the expectations, the restrictions and the struggles that Azra and her family face are very real for a Muslim family wanting to live a traditional life in Australia.
It is one of those books similar to “Looking for Alibrandi” that opens your eyes and makes you stop and think about life. It should be on the school curriculum for all high school students.
Helen Thurloe has written a sensitive powerful story and one that will stay with me for a long time.
I absolutely loved “Promising Azra” by Helen Thurloe.
It deals with the hard subject of arranged marriage and living a traditional Muslim lifestyle in modern Australia.
It is a very current topic at the moment and this book gives a great insight into young Muslim women growing up in Australia today.
16 year old Azra is an intelligent young women wanting to pursue a career , while her Uncle wants her to follow tradition and have an arranged marriage.
To her family her place in in the household but she wants so much more from her life.
I believe the book was written in a culturally sensitive way and we could all learn something from it .
It makes me think of how hard it is for not just Muslim families but families from many different cultures , to adjust to our “Western” way of life .
It is not for me to judge whether they should and I believe that “Promising Azra ” will make people think a lot more about the subject as well as enjoying a wonderful fiction novel.
Thankyou Beauty and Lace and Allen and Unwin for allowing me to read and review this highly enjoyable novel.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Promising Azra is Helen Thurloe’s debut novel; it is written with such sensitivity, and told so well.
The main character is 16-year-old Azra Ajmal. She is a Year 11 student of Muslim background, residing with her family in Sydney. She loves to study and is very passionate about chemistry, and dreams of attending university after completing high school.
But her plans to further her education are thwarted when she learns that her family is arranging for Azra to be wed to a much older cousin in Pakistan.
When Azra discovers this, she is understandably terrified and tries to find a way to fulfill both her dreams, and that of her family’s.
But will that be possible?
There were many times throughout the book that I felt so sorry for Azra, but I admired her determination and courage.
Many times, Azra gets treated unjustly by her family.
It’s totally different for her older brother Rashid though, who is still respected by his family after his many transgressions. Her younger sister Soraya is an adorable character, very innocent and a lovely addition to the story.
Azra is responsible for picking her up every day after school, and for most of the cleaning and cooking too.
To a certain extent, I felt for Azra’s parents. They wanted a better life for their children, and with the help of Azra’s Uncle Zarar, they were able to achieve that by coming to live in Australia. He arranged their visa’s, job opportunities, and accommodation. However, Zarar is controlling, and has the final say about all family matters. I wish they would’ve stood up to him a bit more, but their hesitation was warranted.
Although it is a fictional book, there are many cases of arranged marriages still occurring in Australia presently.
Helen Thurloe describes the Muslim culture well, and I enjoyed reading about their traditions in the story. I would’ve loved the ending to be a bit longer to answer a few more questions, but perhaps Helen can write a sequel?..
This book is targeted at young adults, but many adults will enjoy it too. I highly recommend it as this book bought the topic of arranged marriages to light, in a respectful and entertaining way.
I wasnt sure what to expect when I first started reading this book. However all in all it is a story about a young women who has such strength, courage and determination to live a good life that you bond quite quickly with her.
I learnt so much about the concept of arranged marriages, the trials and tribulations, the process, the realities that until now just wasnt on my radar.
In saying that, this book is so much more than the actual act of getting married. Family politics on so many levels is explored, and whilst I thought there was going to be some challenging of authority from Azra’s parents there wasnt. I am not sure if I am disappointed about this (would have been a predictable story line if they had) or applauding Helen Thurloe for ‘keeping it real’ – I am still working that one out.
I enjoyed this book, it was a very easy book to read with understandable characters which were varied and stimulating. Helen Thurloe’s writing style has an easy flow to it and is colourful in its descriptions.
Certainly a book that I would recommend for anyone wanting to explore life in a different culture or to share a similar experience with.
Thank you for choosing me to read Promising Azra by Helen Thurloe,
This book is beautifully written about the sensitive subject of arranged marriages which being Australian is a strange concept to me
It made me realise how hard it must be for the children of other cultures who come to this country, whose parents still believe in their traditional ideas, as well as the extended family who have a huge influence on what decisions are made within the family group,
This book is suitable to a wide range of ages and I will be passing on to my granddaughter to read, her father is from overseas but nothing like Azras family,
I throughly enjoyed reading this book and I would highly recommend
Thanks
Promising Azra by Helen Thurloe,
this book is well presented Helen has a unique style and has capture the raw essence of
how hard it must be for the children of other cultures, whose parents still believe in their traditional ideas, how much the extended family has huge influence on what decisions are made within the family group,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I will be sharing it with the book club at my local library so they to can enjoy it as well
I was looking forward to reading this book, and it certainly did not let me down, in fact I was literally glued to it for the weekend…. It must be very difficult for other races to come and live in different cultures, and this book covers the story or actually stories if you stop and think about it, of how the tight knit part of a family can have the influence over the whole… we in australia, have not always been subject to this, in fact I am lucky that I was allowed free choice….. I can understand where in one part of the book it talks about the amount of divorces that occur with other races, and yes I do have to agree that is happening all the time…. but I would not lke to get into any argument, that having a husband picked out for you by your family, is more lasting… I think it depends on the people… My mother said to me the only advice she could give me on getting married, ….. remember you are two different people, coming from two different families, with probably different upbringing, and it is a lot of give and take to have it work…. I now have to agree that ….. that was very sound advice…. in my set of circumstances anyway… The book handles the problem, for one family set up, and was handled by the author, Helen Thurloe very delicately….. and fantastic reading about a young girl who is given a mighty difficult set of circumstances.
HI,
Promising Azra was not at all what I was expecting. I thought it was more about the life of a young girl after her forced marriage and was preparing myself for some thoughts/scenes that I would not be able to easily forget I usually shy away from uncomfortable topics but thought that this book would also broaden my horizons.
. Instead I got the mind of a young,16 years old, who had the same ideals and dreams as any young 16 year old. Granted her life outside of school was different and what an insight that was. Brilliantly written , I am sure the writer must have lived that life or had someone close in such a situation to get such detail.
I am very glad that I did read Promising Azra. I think any girl of any denomination should read this for a variety of reasons. To see that their life is not so hard, that others lead different lives, that there are other options to what you believe is your fate, that life can change by your choices alone, that you dont have to follow the norm, that you can be yourself, there are many life lessons you havent learnt.
Thank you so much for the opportunity.
“Promising Azra” is a very realistic young adult novel, set in Sydney. Azra is sixteen, a keen science student, and a dutiful daughter of Pakistani immigrants. She knows her family will eventually want to arrange a marriage for her, but she believes she will be allowed to choose from a number of candidates, and that it won’t be until after she has finished university. When it becomes clear that her family has a very different idea of her future, Azra is torn. She may or may not be willing to accept the marriage they have in mind for her, but she definitely doesn’t want it now. Neither does she want to lose her family.
One of the things I really liked about this novel was that Azra herself wasn’t sure which path she wanted to take. So many books have heroines who are very sure of what they want and what path they want to take; I found it very realistic that Azra knew what she wanted in terms of her education, but was very conflicted about her broader path.
Most young people will have a lot of sympathy for Azra. Who hasn’t felt forced to do things they don’t want to, because of family expectations? Who hasn’t chafed under unfairness, perceived or real? Who hasn’t found it hard to know when to dig in their heels and make a stand for what they want? Azra’s choices may be harder and more clearly life changing than most, but young readers will quickly empathise with her.
This was both a really powerful novel about a young person facing tough choices, and a sensitive novel which highlights some of the cultural conflicts and differences experienced by immigrants and their children. It doesn’t make judgements about right or wrong, except in the suggestion that Azra should be given choices about her own life. It will, however, give a lot of readers a new appreciation of the challenges these cultural differences can create.
This rang true to me – it reflected some of the conversations I’ve had with immigrant friends about the difficulties of reconciling their birth culture with the one they’re now living in. The characterisation is strong – Azra and her family are completely recognisable and understandable, regardless of the cultural trappings.
Although aimed at young adults – and well written for that audience – this is also a novel which is likely to be enjoyed by an adult audience. Strong characterisation and an interesting plot are its’ main strengths, but the sensitive exploration of an important social issue is no small thing.
I enjoyed this, and I’ll be recommending it to friends who ask me for suggestions for what their kids or teens might enjoy.