Published By: Bloomsbury
Pages: 368
Released On: 02/06/2026
Joining an exclusive high school should be a fresh start for Jihad after her mother’s sudden death. But she’s the only Muslim student there; her hijab and even her name make her new classmates suspicious.
Only one person treats her with kindness but Jihad can’t help questioning his motives. It’s hard to trust anyone when she meets indifference or hostility all around her. As tension mounts, she finds refuge in an old sketchbook and in the stories her mama used to tell her. She is determined to focus on making it to art school and a brighter future, but as she starts illustrating her mother’s memories, her canvas becomes bigger than she could ever have imagined.
Can Jihad become as resilient as the true meaning of her name, and let the colour back into her life?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I had this on pre-order but unfortunately had to cancel it, so I was thrilled when I was sent an early digital copy. I have a copy of her previous book, As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow, so I was looking forward to seeing what her writing was like.
While this is a story about Islam and a lone Muslim girl – and I am in no way belittling that and saying it’s not important – but I felt this story could have been about anyone who finds themselves adrift in an unfamiliar land (be that literal or figurative).
It’s so poetical. Sometimes that can be a hindrance to understanding the whole story when the focus is more on the way it’s written rather than what the writing is trying to say. But she’s found the right balance. It’s beautiful to read but the story at the heart of it is still clear and easy to access.
I know it’s a fictional novel and maybe I should see it as “just” a piece of entertainment to lose myself in for a few hours. But it’s impossible to read this without thinking of the real-world context. How I’d love for the negative aspects of this story to only be found in storybooks. But sadly this echoes so many lives now which is so sad but makes the book have a deeper affect.
I did go in expecting something quite light but this really slaps you round the face and makes you wake up to the injustices you might have, unconsciously, ignored.
Oh I cried. Not necessarily out of sadness, more out of anger for how Jihad is treated, but mostly out of hope and how beautiful. How beneath all the noise and the racism and the bulling, there are good people and you can find love and hope and joy. It’s one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read.
Books By Your Bedside 