Hope Ablaze is a stunning and heartbreaking book. Nida is a poet, just like her uncle. But when her uncle is wrongfully incarcerated, Nida feels a light inside her go out. The words for her poems don’t seem to come so easily anymore. When Nida is illegally searched at a political rally while she is praying in the park, Nida unleashes her pain into her writing. Nida never expects that her words will be submitted for a poetry competition without her knowledge. Suddenly Nida has lost her words and her connection to poetry. In Hope Ablaze, Nida struggles to balance her family’s expectations, her safety, and the desire to be who she wants to be. 

Hope Ablaze was a book that I devoured in a day. It is really hard to put it down. Nida is such a great character and your heart will absolutely break at some of the situations she goes through. The power and pain from Nida’s words shine through and will stay in your mind long after you turn the last page. I loved how Nida’s complicated family situation was shown- she has people who will do anything for her and yet what she most wants is for them to let her be herself. I really appreciated the growth in her relationship with her mom - Nida learns more about why her mom is the way she is. 

Hope Ablaze is a beautiful and heartbreaking read, which I would highly recommend to anyone. It does deal with serious topics that will spark important conversations. Nida must confront blatant racism, Islamophobia, and betrayals from people who she trusted. Nida must also develop the courage to speak honestly to her family about her poetry. Readers who enjoyed Sabaa Tahir’s All My Rage and Hannah V. Sawyer’s All the Fighting Parts will love this book. Sarah Mughal Rana is definitely a writer to watch and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!  

Thank you to Sarah Mughal Rana, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.