Hana Kahn Carries On

Hana Kahn Carries On by Uzma Jalaliddin is a realistic fiction novel about Hana, a muslim women in her twenties. Throughout the book, Hana has conversations with a new online friend who goes by the username “StanleyP.” She has a dream for a job in radio. In the meantime however, she has an anonymous podcast, has a radio internship, and helps at her family’s restaurant. “I was in the corner booth of Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the restaurant my family owned and ran in the heart of Toronto,” (Jalaluddin 4). Things start to change in the novel when another halal restaurant called Golden Crescent is opened in town by a recent acquaintance of Hana’s named Aydin. 

Throughout the novel, the topic of Hana and her struggles of being a muslim and a minority frequently come up. One example is when Hana is going to pick up her cousin and aunt from the airport, “it would be safer entering an international airport without the company of a six foot-one bearded muslim man”(Jalaliddin 68). At one point Hana tries to correct her history teacher when learning about Islam and ends up getting into and argument with him. She also mentions in her podcast about how her dad grew up in India and about her experiences being a south Asian muslim women in Toronto. 

One point that I think is important to note about this book is that it is written in the first person perspective of Hana. As a reader it is really interesting to be able to see what she is thinking in certain instances. This is especially true as the novel progresses and Hana starts to change her viewpoints when it comes to other characters. This happens with Aydin and also when Hana’s cousin Rashid flies in from India. Hana is just wondering when he’s going to leave. Later on in the book she ends up developing a pretty friendly relationship with her cousin.

Do I recommend this book? In short, yes. I would recommend this as more of a light read. It’s written in a certain way that the characters seem real which I personally think is important in a good book. I also think that the overall storyline is pretty unique and was at times thought provoking. However, the book was kind of slow getting started and wasn’t always super engaging.

-Ana Olson