LISTEN, LAYLA

Following 2019’s You Must Be Layla, this sequel takes readers on a journey with Layla, an intrepid middle child of Sudanese origin living in Brisbane, Australia.

The novel references events in the previous book, such as Layla’s school suspension, but readers do not need to be familiar with the first book to fully understand this one. Fourteen-year-old Layla, or Laylz as her friends call her, has a single goal: to travel to Germany and win an annual international inventors’ competition. Her dream is seemingly derailed, however, when news of her maternal grandmother’s hospitalization in Sudan compels the family to drop everything and fly out to join Habooba Samira, the family matriarch, despite the country’s political protests. Most pages include words or expressions from Arabic, immersing readers in a setting that reflects the hybrid reality the main character inhabits; non-Arabic speakers can look words up in the glossary or work out the meanings from the context. The story includes a lot of rich background information about Sudanese culture, including cuisine and traditional foods; ancient history; current political events; and social issues, such as gender equality—as well as discussing immigrant identities and the dilemmas faced by those who feel caught between cultures. Layla’s experiences offer a refreshing lens on subject matter that is of wide interest, but the narrative struggles under the weight of details, diluting the central storyline.

A rich multicultural narrative that struggles to keep the main plot in focus.