Hope Ablaze

A Novel

By: Sarah Mughal Rana

Narrated by: Farah Kidwai

She lost her words but found her voice.

All My Rage meets The Poet X in this electric debut that explores a Muslim teen finding her voice in a post-9/11 America.

Nida has always been known as Mamou Abdul-Hafeedh’s niece—the poet who will fill her uncle’s shoes after he was wrongfully incarcerated during the war on terror. But for Nida, her poetry letters are her heart and sharing so much of herself with a world that stereotypes her faith and her hijab is not an option.

When Nida is illegally frisked at a Democratic Senatorial candidate’s political rally, she writes a scathing poem about the politician, never expecting the letter to go viral weeks before Election Day. Nida discovers her poem has won first place in a national contest, a contest she never entered, and her quiet life is toppled. But worst of all, Nida loses her ability to write poetry. In the aftermath of her win, Nida struggles to balance the expectations of her mother, her uncle, and her vibrant Muslim community with the person she truly wants to be.

With a touch of magic and poetry sprinkled throughout, Sarah Mughal Rana's Hope Ablaze is heartbreaking, often funny, and ultimately uplifting, not only celebrating the Islamic faith and Pakistani culture, but simultaneously confronting racism and Islamophobia with unflinching bravery.

A Macmillan Audio production from Wednesday Books.

©2024 Sarah Mughal Rana (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

Goodreads, "The Most Anticipated Young Adult Books of 2024"

Desi Blitz, "10 Must-Read South Asian Books Releasing in 2024"

Book Riot, "Winter 2024 YA Book Releases To Enjoy This Season"

“Prose and poetry weave together seamlessly in a BEAUTIFUL AND IMPORTANT story about the power of words. A MUST READ for everyone.”—Kristin Dwyer, critically acclaimed author of Some Mistakes Were Made

"In Sarah Mughal Rana's scintillating debut, poetry moves through every page, from the deftly melodic prose to the rawly furious verses scattered between. Hope Ablaze is a POIGNANT, HONEST tale of two Americas, contrasting the warmth of community with the brutality of the institutions that seek to suppress it. Rana doesn't hold back, and the reader smiles at the touching relationships, laughs at the hilarious banter, salivates over the rich cuisine, yearns to bridge the generational divide, critically examines age-old systems rooted in prejudice, and cries out for justice along with her. The overarching theme throughout centers on the power of words to wound, to heal, to start a revolution—and Rana has done all of that in this EXQUISITE, LIFE-CHANGING story. A must-read."—Thea Guanzon, New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars

“FIERCE, POIGNANT, AND BRIMMING WITH HOPE, Sarah Mughal Rana has woven a powerful tale about a poet standing up against injustice. Hope Ablaze is an UNFORGETTABLE book.”—June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace

The story was good

But the slam poetry just wasn’t for me. I skimmed the poems and read the story, learning things I did not know.