From Away From Here by Ambata Kazi
Join ‘The Visionaries’ Bookshelf’ WhatsApp Groupchat
Synopsis
Set in New Orleans five years after Hurricane Katrina, the novel follows three young Black American Muslims—Fatima, Tahani, and Saif—who reconnect after drifting apart in their teenage years.
Fatima left New Orleans during Katrina, also coping with the murder of her fiancé/childhood love, Wakeel. She now returns to help care for his mother.
Tahani rebelled against a strict upbringing and, as an adult, is a single mother, struggling financially and creatively while also trying to find a sense of freedom and purpose.
Saif, Wakeel’s cousin, is entangled with a complicated past involving illicit activity, and now must face how his actions contributed to Wakeel’s death and what kind of man he wants to become.
Through their separate but interwoven journeys, the three wrestle with faith, tradition, community expectations, trauma, and their desire to shape their own futures. The novel explores how their shared history, the city’s collective recovery after Katrina, and their personal faith intersect to push them toward healing and renewal.
