When a Brown Girl Flees

After Zahra Paracha makes a decision at odds with her beliefs, her mother forces Zahra to make an impossible choice about her future. So Zahra runs away. A train and a plane ride later, she finds herself in New York, where she relinquishes her past in favor of a new future. There, she must learn who she is without the marionette strings of control in her mother’s hands. There, she must learn who she wishes to become.

On Long Island—anxious, depressed, and grappling with guilt—Zahra wanders aimlessly. She eventually visits the local masjid, where she is befriended by two sisters and drawn into the welcoming Muslim community.

In this place of safety, Zahra’s new life begins—but can she create a home for herself when the foundation is built on lies she’s spun as protection from the past? The heart of the matter becomes clear: she can’t run away forever. Can she close the rift in her family and truly, fully heal?

In this powerful novel from emerging voice Aamna Qureshi, a Muslim teen goes on a breathtaking journey to find her home and—more importantly—herself.

“Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this is a poignant story about how finding your community can help you heal and learn to love yourself.”—Adiba Jaigirdar, author of Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating and The Henna Wars