The Cult Of
Romance is by turns a soap-opera,
a tale of two cities, a portrait of a young woman straddling cultures and a
searingly intimate interrogation of home, identity, love and belonging. It’s fresh
and eminently readable. Laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly tender.
Told in the
first person with an authentic voice, this book explores many of the important
issues that migrant families face… with the little twist that its protagonist
looks on romance as a big fat cult that we’ve all brainwashed into. It’s a
fabulous narrative idea and a great read.
Natalie Saab is
your average Aussie born Lebanese feminist raised with an absent mother, a distant
father and a suffocatingly hands-on Tayta (Grandma) who thinks the old ways of the
homeland are the only ways to live.
One of Nat’s besties is getting married to a virtual stranger from Lebanon and so our flawed, awkward protagonist does her best to be a good brideslave while smiling through gritted teeth and upholding her loyalty to the feminist cause.
The book is set between Sydney and Lebanon and does a wonderful job of moving between them. Ayoub’s intimate knowledge of both cultures shines through the text with gritty detail and vivid storyscapes. Smatterings of Arabic language through character chats and Nat’s interior monologues, serve as a constant and challenging reminder of the complexities faced by our protagonist.
The
characterisation in this story is gorgeous. Beautifully drawn human beings come
to life off the page. You can smell the garlic, hear the music and feel the
warmth of the fires.
This book raises questions that stay with the reader a long time after the book is closed. It’s fabulous, layered and nuanced. A page turner with much to think about and digest – thoroughly recommended.
Title: The Cult Of RomanceAuthor: Sarah Ayoub
Publisher: HarperCollins $19.99
Publication Date: 4 May, 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781460712689
For ages: 14+
Type: Young Adult
