From the publisher:
Mia’s secret comedy career, forbidden office crush, and a long-guarded family secret take center stage, threatening her newfound confidence and her one shot at fame in this hilarious, heartfelt coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld and Etaf Rum.
https://amzn.to/3OiELYI
Mia Almas has a secret. By day, she works at a respectable job as a media fact checker―a position her conservative, Arab grandparents approve of―and, by night, she takes to the stages of New York City comedy clubs. She holds herself back in a lot of ways, especially in the romance department, but being on stage lights her up and makes being a wallflower the rest of the time more bearable. That is, until Phaedra, her stylish and bold new neighbor, inspires Mia to take a few risks.
As Mia pursues a forbidden romance with her boss, her standup gets better and bolder, leading to a surprise spotlight that exposes her secret gig. Horrified and worried that her rebellious act could mean big consequences for her reserved Palestinian-American family, Mia frantically dives into damage control. But all of her efforts to pull back from the spotlight expose a family scandal from the 1940s that could change everything…
Equal parts funny and tender, What Will People Think? is a heart-bursting exploration of what it means to discover and embrace the hidden parts of yourself, and how love in all forms can make you whole.
This beautifully written debut novel tackles some serious issues like immigration, bigotry, and cultural identity, using standup comedy as the frame. Mia is a second-generation Palestinian-American and has lived with her very traditional grandparents since she lost her parents. She shared a love of standup comedy with her father and has been working on her own comedy act in secret, not wanting to disappoint her grandparents. Her heritage is great fodder for her comedy, but it’s her day job as a magazine fact checker that helps pay the bills. She has had a crush on her boss since he hired her, and when a reporting job opens up, he urges her to submit something. Instead, her best friend submits a piece about Mia’s standup, along with some video, and it goes viral. Mia’s grandparents are in the US illegally, and she is terrified that her success may lead to their deportation. When a new Arab neighbor moves into their building, she mentions knowing a family with the same last name that owned some very successful jewelry stores in Dubai. Mia’s grandmother refuses to talk about her family and ends up giving Mia a journal to read to gain some insight. The journal creates a second storyline that starts in the 1940s in Palestine, and both stories are woven together until all the family secrets are revealed.
Verdict: This compelling read should make for an interesting discussion, like James McBride’s The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store or Evil Eye by Etaf Rum.
©Library Journal, 2025
5/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK? by Sara Hamdan. Henry Holt and Co. (May 20, 2025). ISBN: 978-1250329813. 336p.
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