‘The Colour of God is an engrossing read, not because it tells the story of one woman’s journey from “subjugation” within a puritanical sect of Islam to finding ‘liberation’ by taking off her veil, but because it refuses and interrogates these facile labels. Chaudhry is brilliant at dissecting how fundamentalism took root in her family, and she’s equally good at holding up a mirror to the culture that tends to dehumanise those who don’t conform to its norms.’
Description
Shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize 2022
‘Engrossing...brilliant’ Monica Ali
‘Heartbreaking and really funny’ Ross Gay
‘This book fell into my heart’ Sabrina Mahfouz
‘The kind of authentic voice that is rarely heard’ Saima Mir
Ayesha tells the story of growing up in a fundamentalist Muslim household; of parents who spent most of their lives away from Pakistan; of stealing her mother’s hijabs to wear to school as a five-year-old; of revisiting the beliefs and ideals she was raised with; of failed dreams and heartbreaks, but also of joy and love.
Life-affirming and funny, The Colour of God uncovers surprising answers to questions of faith, belonging, family and liberation, and offers a vision of freedom that isn’t measured in fabric.
Reviews
‘This book fell into my heart, bringing real life, real love, pain and grief… Chaudhry writes beautifully.’
‘The Colour of God offers us a sustained exploration of home and belief and the tendrils between the two…a beautiful and necessary book that remarkably, wonderfully, makes our world larger and smaller at once.’
‘The kind of authentic voice that is rarely heard nowadays. Her experiences of family and the patriarchal interpretations of Islam, pushed upon women of South Asian heritage, resonated with me on so many levels.’