This is Asghar’s first novel. It is about sisters who must traverse many difficulties together with the support of one another. Overall, I found the book pleasant to read but I was never fully captivated. I’m familiar with her poetry and felt like this was definitely present in the novel- the beauty of the prose (and the poetry interspersed) felt very intentional and artistic. Towards the end of the book, I felt more drawn to the prose. There are a few funny sentences that I wish were weaved throughout. Overall, this is a beautiful book but, as somebody who reads more for entertainment than for appreciating art, I felt underwhelmed at times.

The style is deliberately fragmentary but I’m afraid for me the fragments never coalesced. On the whole this was a frustrating read for me where I felt as if the author had a much clearer intention than what ultimately made it to the page.

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I have read very few poetry collections, but one of the ones that I have read is If They Come For Us by Fatimah Asghar. Having read their poetry, I am not surprised at the writing of this novel, as it feels like the work of a poet. Asghar plays with form in both their poetry collection and this novel. I think this was very deserving of the NBA longlist and I currently have it ranked second of what I have read, so I would have loved to see it as a finalist (though it is not one).

This is the story mostly of 3 sisters - Noreen, Aisha, and Kausar - who are orphaned when they lose first their mother to a terminal illness and then their father to murder. We experience their lives from childhood into adulthood through the eyes of the youngest, Kausar. While their uncle technically has custody of them, he does not really raise them and mostly leaves them to themselves so they have to take on a lot of responsibility for themselves at a very young age. Kausar’s older sisters also serve as mother-figures to them. There is also some discussion of the South Asian immigrant experience, since the family came from Pakistan to the United States.

One choice that I am curious about is the choice to redact the uncle’s first name. If anyone who has read this has any possible thoughts or insight on this, please let me know in the comments!

I thought this was a really good book! The writing choices were so well-done and innovative and the writing style made this one easy to keep turning pages quickly. Many chapters were very short, some half a page or less, and some sections were written in the style of poetry. This was already on my radar before the NBA, but I got to it quicker because of the longlisting, for which I am grateful. If you’ve read this, let me know your thoughts! Any future work by Asghar will definitely be on my radar!

when we were sisters is a heart-wrenching, hauntingly beautiful story of three sisters who are orphaned at a young age and left to raise each other as they grow up. The sisters have to wrestle with loss, family, rage, poverty, gender, and coming of age as Muslim women in the early 90's/00's. it is primarily told from the point of view of the youngest sister and Asghar's writing is so lyrical and moving I was enthralled by every page. At its core, this is a story about the power of sisterhood- both in the way it can lift you up and the way it can cut you straight to the core- and as the oldest of three sisters, it touched me deep in my core. The prose and plot were so gripping that I could not put this book down and while it left me feeling conflicted and a bit empty, I have thought about it every day since. While it is definitely not a lighthearted or uplifting book, it had a level of tenderness and vulnerability that was very moving. It has become one of my favorites from this vear and I want evervone to read it so I can talk about it with someone. It's a stunning debut novel & I cannot wait to see what comes next from this author.

I wanted to enjoy this one because of the premise, but I couldn't connect with the writing and the characters at all.

A moving, formally inventive, clearly autobiographical and liberating account of terrible grief and abuse as narrated by one of three orphaned Muslim sisters in the USA. Dodging predictability and the conventionally syrupy sisterly stuff, it follows its own, sometimes sporadic narration to a point of late release. Impressive and memorable.

This is a super easy one to review - not.impressed. Books like this leave me with a bit of a complex; it's got a majority of high ratings on Goodreads, but it just wasn't for me. That makes me feel a bit defective, to be honest. But there was just nothing for me to really enjoy. The writing was disjointed and weak. Nothing beautiful or lyrical about it. I couldn't connect or sympathize with any of the characters, despite their tragic upbringing. The varied writing styles chapter to chapter were simply too much work for me to slog through without any benefit at the end. I wanted to like this book, but was deeply disappointed.

Brutal--at, at times, hard to follow--but beautiful. Fatimah Asghar's poetry background comes out with their lyrical prose and their handling of different formats of storytelling. Trigger warnings abound; the book covers abuse, neglect, sexual assault, loss, and more with little hope.

Poetry can be hard for me to follow so I struggled to enjoy the writing, but I loved the story - it’s so important. The sibling dynamics were captured perfectly.

The heartbreaking story of 3 orphaned sisters whose Muslim parents immigrated to the United States from Pakistan. When orphaned, an uncle takes over their care in the most horrific manner. Although the sisters only have each other, this book is more about what separates sisters than what binds them together. The book also explores gender identity. Poetic, upsetting, and very discussable.

4.5 Stars but rounding up for the review!

I really enjoyed this book. I had never read Fatimah's work before this but I look forward to reading their old work as well as whatever else they decide to release in the future.

The writing is absolutely the best part of this book. The story is told from the perspective of the youngest sister (Kausar) and we watch her grow up as the book progresses. The special part is the writing evolves and ages as the narrator continues to age. Even when the narrator is at her/their youngest, the writing is childlike but not childish. I enjoyed the characters, specifically the other sisters (Nooren and Aisha) As an oldest child, Nooren was probably my favorite. I loved that I could understand the thoughts of the other sisters without the perspective shifting. I loved the short poems/sections where we read reflections from their parents. I loved how thoughtful this story is with the lessons, emotions and thoughts one may have as we age.

The only thing I did not like was the structure of the book. One of the chapters in particular was very long and I think a break/common stopping point would've helped maintain the flow/interest for me.

Overall, a great read that I would recommend to others. Some content warnings include death, sexual assault, and child neglect. Thankful to netgalley for the ARC!

Three orphaned sisters are left to raise each other. The story follows their intense bond and how they are inseparable as they are all they have. Noreen, Aisha, and Kausar deal with their problems in their own way, struggling together but also on their own. It follows them as children and into adulthood - showing how everything has affected them. They went through so much abuse, neglect, loss, and sexual assault. It is told from Kausar’s perspective and we see how she navigates her feelings on gender, family, religion, and trying to find a place for herself in the world.

This novel’s lyrical prose was beautiful and I liked that it didn’t stick to one format as well. The story itself is heartbreaking and left me feeling empty at the end. I loved it but wish the ending had a little bit more to it. I do feel that Kausar’s story was unfinished and may stay up tonight thinking about her.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This comes out tomorrow and I'm so excited that I finished it just in time!

This debut novel about the coming of age of 3 Muslim American sisters packs a powerful punch. It reads partly as a novel and mostly as a long poem. The story follows the youngest of 3 orphaned sisters, Kausar, and their life under the guardianship of their selfish and neglectful uncle. Kausar’s loneliness, grief and struggle to belong are amplified by the lyrical prose in which this was written. Brace yourself as this is a heartbreaking read.

Thank you to @netgalley @oneworldbooks for this advance readers copy. This book hits the shelves on 10/18/22.

When We Were Sisters is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel. The story revolves around three sisters who are orphaned and taken in by their uncle, but mostly left to fend for and raise themselves. Mostly told through the eyes of Kausar, the youngest sister, the book captures the pain of loneliness, being an orphan, and feeling different. The sisters grow up together, but still feel very alone. It is sad, but I read the last page feeling hopeful, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

Kaiser tells the story of herself and her sisters Noreen and Aisha after they are orphaned. The youngest of the trio, she is a sharp observer but is she reliable- not because she chooses not to be but because she does not understand. They are taken in, to use the term loosely, by an uncle who confines them to an apartment but mostly abandons them to care for themselves. There are bright spots (few) but as they mature, creases emerge for the three. They deal not only with the neglect but also with their different-ness as Pakistani Americans in suburban New Jersey. This doesn't always hang together as you might expect. Ashgar is a poet and this is a bit experimental but it's urgent and compelling. There's a reason the uncle's name is blacked out- don't miss the afterword. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.

When We Were Sisters follows three Muslim American sisters, Noreen, Aisha, and Kausar, who lost both parents. They are then taken by their uncle, who decides to take care of them. Throughout the novel, we follow the sisters through Kausar, the younger sister’s perspective. The story begins when they are young and continues as they get older. I loved the way this story was written. Asghar has a beautiful and poetic writing style. There were moments of heartbreak, especially with what the sisters endured. I loved that the story is told from Kausar’s perspective because she idolizes her sisters and cherishes their sisterhood. Even when their bond was crumbling as they got older, Kausar still adored her sisters and hoped one day; they would bond again. Kausar needed her sisters, especially when she was a teen grappling with gender identity, sexuality, and romantic orientation. This story needed to be told. My only critique is the ending— I wish we had more of what it was like for them as adults. Thank you to Random House Publishing- Random House for my advanced readers copy of this beautiful book.

This story made my heart hurt in all the wonderful and awful ways. I finished it in roughly 24hr and still a few days later I can't stop thinking about it. The questioning of what it means to be a sister, what it means to be a mother, and the complications of what happens when these two identities collide, was intriguing. I'd argue that if you have sisters these questions and the feelings that arise in Asghar's answers will be relatable, regardless of whether you grew up an orphan or not. The writing is brilliant. I was thrilled to see Asghar's poetic voice at work and see them take risks in the construction of a contemporary work of fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy.

I struggled with this book. The cadence of the narrative was short and choppy. I didn’t grasp why the uncle’s name was blacked out.
I am interested in stories about family and loss, especially sisters. I just couldn’t identify with the characters. This book was a miss fie me.

I so wanted to love love love this but I couldn't! First, I should have taken a second before requesting the book since the author is a poet and I want a book, not poetry or experimental fiction, I want chapters and full scenes not snippets. So that is my fault. Second, I never felt like any of the themes of the book were fully explored. Maybe this was partly due to how it was presented, but it felt like an outline for a book and these were what was going to be further developed in the book. The end result was a story and characters that I never fully engaged with. Someone who enjoys more experimental writing (and/or poetry) might get more from this book. I wanted to!

While I am generally not a fan of poetry, I do tend to enjoy novels written by poets. Novels by poets often take shape in such new and unfamiliar ways and Fatimah Asghar’s upcoming novel When We Were Sisters is no exception. Their approach to the story captures the fleeting impression that memories leave with vivid details standing out against the fuzzy outline of other elements. It both sharpens and softens the harsh and tragic details of Kausar’s family life growing up, struggling to find a way to stay with their sisters at all costs and then living with what it takes to pay that cost. When We Were Sisters demonstrates the heartbreaking truths that nothing is simple, that those who love us also have the greatest power to hurt us, and that not all endings are clean and satisfying.

Having first lost their mother when Kausar was too young to remember her, Kausar, Noreen, and Aisha become orphans when their father is killed – in the wrong place at the wrong time, an accident or murder, it doesn’t matter. They have only each other as they come under the care of their late mother’s brother, though “care” proves to be a loose definition for what he provides. Eager for the money and the prestige that comes with providing for orphans, their uncle vacillates between overbearingly controlling and completely absent leaving the sisters largely to their own devices as they must navigate a world where their statuses as female, Muslim, and orphans each affect their prospects and the dangers they face every day.

One of the things I walked away from When We Were Sisters contemplating was how different the story could look if it had been told through the perspective of either of the other sisters (or all three). Though there were moments of insight into the others (just as there were times when the unnamed uncle was the one whose version of the story we were given), centering so much of the story in the perspective of the youngest allows a flexibility of understanding – and misunderstanding – that helps to paint the extremes with vivid color. The neglect rings harsher when it is filtered through such innocence and ignorance. The need for every scrap of joy and family feels more desperate for having learned so much loss so young and having so few memories of anything to contrast the present with.

The way the novel is written with its short passages that skip and burst across the narrative helps the story avoid a telling rather than showing approach. With so much about identity (understandably) woven into the very fabric of the novel, it would be all too easy for the narrative to become preoccupied with the clashes around Kausar’s exploration of identity, pushing back against their uncle’s rules and the expectations of their community. While reflecting on such things can be valuable, Asghar’s approach keeps the emotional focus on the connection between the sisters at a more visceral and primitive level.

When We Were Sisters will be available October 18, 2022.