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This Green and Pleasant Land

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This Green and Pleasant Land

By: Ayisha Malik
Narrated by: Rita Sharma
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About this listen

Timely, humorous and deeply moving. This is the absolute standout new novel by acclaimed author (and 2018 Asian Woman of Achievement nominee) Ayisha Malik.

For years Bilal Hasham and his wife, Mariam, have lived contented, quiet lives in the sleepy rural village of Babbel's End. Now all that is about to change.

On her deathbed, Bilal's mother reaches for his hand. Instead of whispering her final prayers, she gives him a task: build a mosque in his country village.

Mariam is horrified by Bilal's plan. His friends and neighbours are unnerved. As outrage sweeps Babbel's End, battle lines are drawn. His mother's dying wish reveals deeper divisions in their village than Bilal had ever imagined.

Soon Bilal is forced to choose between community and identity, between faith and friendship, between honouring his beloved mother's last wish and preserving what is held dear in the place that he calls home.

©2019 Ayisha Malik (P)2019 Bonnier Books UK Fiction Historical Fiction Islamic Heritage South Asian Creators World Literature Village Witty

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Critic reviews

"At the heart of this book lies the simple question: who decides to who and what we belong? This is Malik's best work to date - satirical, controversial, knowing and essential." (Vaseem Khan)

"This Green and Pleasant Land, a novel that simmers with tenderness, is a deeply relevant book that is bound to ruffle a fair few feathers, but the right feathers, and for the right reasons." (Caroline O'Donoghue)

"Thoughtful, funny, excellently written and deserves to be read by everyone...it's the standout book of the year." (Abir Mukherjee)
All stars
Most relevant
When I started this novel disliked pretty much every character I was met with. Despite the fact I was still infuriated with the main characters for most of the novel, by the end of the novel, all I wanted was for things to work out. Malik is a master at creating character and carefully crafting plot. I inhaled this novel.

What more can you possibly ask for?

Wholesome

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A pleasant surprise! The story moves along at a nice pace and all the characters are well carved out. I especially enjoyed the characters of Khala and Shelley. It resonates with me, being a British Muslim but I think anyone with a empathetic heart will enjoy this book.

A simple Heartwarming read

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I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. Ayesha Malik wove disparate characters into her plot and created scenes to include the reader in their development. A true "village" tale where big world problems infect an idyllic scene and show the cracks in the fabric of the community and people. I was truly inspired by the (imperfect) journey on which Malik led us from rupture to cautious healing. This is a wonderful story of true faith and the possibility of peace. The narrator was an ideal tour guide.

A lovely tale with endearing characters

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I did find the characters flat at first, but by the end they were more endearing.

Difficult to begin with

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I think I’ve found my new favourite book. This made me laugh, think, despair and feel all the emotions between A and Z. Necessary read for anyone living in a modern world and having Thoughts about it.

Beautiful and meaningful

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