July 2025

Hana Khan Carries On - Uzma Jalaluddin

I chose Uzma Jalaluddin’s second novel because her first, Ayesha At Last, was such a big hit that if people had already read it they’d have another book to check out. Also Uzma has a new series called Detective Aunty that started this year. So if you like this book it gives you a next place to go.

But I also chose it because it’s a book that takes place in a restaurant, and I’m a sucker for books that have food in them. Chefs, bakers, home cooks, farms, all of the above. They are some of my favourite settings.

Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she'll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.

When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana's growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.

As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be.