A Dreamer’s Life Can Be Hell

The DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act) was a congressional bill, that if passed would have granted legal status to undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. Throughout their young lives, all they have known is their hometown in the U.S.A.

Zara Hossain’s home town is Corpus Christi, Texas. She’s visited Karachi, Pakistan a few times over the years, but home is Corpus Christi. Her pediatrician father, Abbu in Urdu, immigrated to America when Zara was a toddler. He and his wife wanted the best for their daughter and felt strongly they’d find it in America. 

Abbu and Ammi are very supportive of their daughter. They’ve placed her in a private high school, Holy Cross, one of the best in the city, even though they are Muslim and not Catholic. They have a close set of friends from the local Pakistani community who Zara treats as family including best friends Priya and Nick. 

Both friends are very supportive when Tyler Benson, Holy Cross’ top football star torments Zara with racist remarks. When Zara reports this behavior to the principal, Tyler gets suspended, but not for long. His father is a wealthy donator to the school. For revenge, the adolescent bigot vandalizes Zara’s house with racist graffiti. This leads to a violent crime putting Zara’s family’s hope for a green card at risk. 

Author Sabina Khan has penned a heart-wrenching book about the life of a Dreamer and the effect the American immigration system has on her life. The settings are descriptive, the dialogue realistic, and the cultural food described will make your mouth water. The author does a wonderful job showing the emotions of a family going through immigration hell. 

But that’s not all the social issues Zara Hossain is Here takes on. Zara is also bi-sexual and brings home her girlfriend, Chloe, to meet her parents. The Hossain’s are very accepting of their daughter’s needs, but Chloe’s parents consider homosexuality an abomination. 

Zara Hossain is Here is a gripping novel written for teenagers, but this adult reviewer couldn’t put the book down. After reading it, I am more in touch with the difficulties Muslim immigrants have in this country and feel sensitized to their pain. This is an honest and timely coming of age story readers won’t want to miss. 

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About the Author

Sabina Khan is the author of four YA novels including Meet me in Mumbai. When she’s not writing her next novel, she works as an educational consultant; and for fun, she’s a karaoke enthusiast. Khan has lived in Germany, Bangladesh, Macao, Illinois and Texas, finally settling down in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and two daughters, and dog.