The Love and Lies of Ruksana Ali

Like all teenagers, 17 year-old Ruksana has secrets. She tries her best to hid her crop-tops and makeup from her conservative Muslim parents, but then they find out about her biggest secret- her girlfriend, Ariana. Being gay is pretty much a death sentence in the Bengali community. Ruksana is suddenly sent off to live with relatives in Bangladesh and is confronted with a world full of arranged marriages and tradition. Only with the help of her grandmother’s diary will she gain some perspective.

Written by Bengali author Sabina Khan, the Love and Lies of Ruksana Ali is one that you don’t want to miss.

“This book was the first time I saw a South Asian LGBTQ+ protagonist, and I loved the way it captured South Asian culture. I can’t specifically speak on Bangladeshi culture, but I enjoyed seeing the similarities between Bangladeshi and Indian culture and how accurately I think it was portrayed. This was one of the books that made me realize the lack of South Asian LGBTQ+ representation in the young adult genre, and I think it is the start of a lot more representation to come.”- Maya Sivakumar, 10th grade student