Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

Ayesha At Last is a Pride-and-Prejudice-inspired romantic comedy set in Toronto’s Muslim community. Ayesha, a high school teacher and aspiring poet, believes in marrying for love—in stark contrast to her younger, prettier cousin, who enjoys the attention she gets from the suitors her family arranges for her. When Ayesha meets Khalid, they clash instantly: she thinks he’s too rigid and conservative, and he thinks she is not traditional enough. But when they’re forced to work together on organizing an event for their local mosque, they begin to fall in love despite their best efforts. There’s only one problem: Khalid’s mother has arranged for him to marry Ayesha’s cousin.

This sweet, funny novel takes Jane Austen’s ideas into the twenty-first century. It illuminates the changing, often conflicting expectations placed on modern young Muslims, and Ayesha is a smart, independent heroine it’s easy to identify with.