The Whispering Jacarandas

'Zahirra Dayal’s novel draws the reader in to a story of family and childhood that alternates between love and pain in a way that reflects powerfully on what it means to be a woman, wife, mother, daughter, and sister. For those who have grown up in Zimbabwe, her prose resonates and draws you in to memories and nostalgia of your own; for those who are unfamiliar with the southern African country, it paints a poignant portrait of the ups and downs the country faced in its new postcolonial reality after 1980. Many women, even those outside the Indian community of Zimbabwe, will find a piece of themselves in this work.'

- Trishula R. Patel, Ph.D., Associate Professor in History, University of Denver

'A beautifully evocative debut from a powerful new voice. Zahirra Dayal's tender prose invites the reader into Amira and Zaynah's world with a gentle hand. A stunning portrayal of Muslim life.' - Farhana Shaikh, Managing Editor of Dahlia Books

'I found myself thinking about Zaynah and Amira long after putting the book down...Overall this was a beautifully written story about trauma, resilience and family relationships'.

- Beckys_book_blog, Goodreads

'What stayed with me long after I finished was the way the book examines family loyalty and the damage that comes from choosing reputation over truth. It is an honest portrayal of inherited pain, silence, and the lasting consequences of what remains unsaid'.

- Basabdatta Chaudhury

'a coming of age novel of two very different sisters.'

- Jule, Goodreads 

'Yesterday morning I woke just after four in the morning with these characters on my heart..That is what Zahirra's writing does. It makes you love two little girls you have never met and feel strangely close to, while also sitting with deeply complex feelings towards their mother. That is the power of fiction written from somewhere true. It does not just tell you a story. It puts people in your chest and keeps them there' - Abigail Horne, founder of Authors & Co

'A book like this one will be read ten years from now. Twenty years from now. It will find readers who needed it before they knew it existed. It will say something true about the human experience that the algorithm will never show you, because the algorithm does not deal in truth. It deals in reaction.' - Abigail Horne, founder of Authors & Co 

'It was really compelling to read, set alongside the vivid backdrop of Zimbabwe in the 80s and 90s... it was a lovely read that handled complex family dynamics with real heart and sensitivity'. - Carol_Bookworm 

‘In The Whispering Jacarandas, Dayal traces the damage that families can cause when they fail to confront painful truths, while leaving room for the possibility that fractured relationships might still be repaired.’ - Brittle Paper

'It is a beautifully written novel which examines how differently two people can react to the same trauma and how that can affect each and every one of their relationships and their sense of self throughput their young adulthood. The writing is lyrical and evocative of the time and place whilst also piercingly addressing the complexities of sisterhood through the relationship between Zaynah and Amira. They are both nuanced and emotionally resonant characters and it is their contrasting personalities which drive the narrative force of the novel perfectly. All in all, The Whispering Jacarandas is an emotionally resonant and powerful story of loss, shame, rage, sisterhood, and the high cost of silence which I would definitely recommend'. Christine @lifewithallthebooks

'While the content is heavy, the writing itself was confident and beautiful...What I liked the most was that the power of choice and change were still available, despite everything. Of course there was a price, as there is with everything. Face up to individual and family secrets. Be willing to have conflict and communicate and grow. To do this during a period of political upheaval and with generations of indoctrination was, of course, no easy ask. But prices will always be paid, either way. A shattering read with a powerful, positive message'. - Stephanie @the_abundant_word

'The Whispering Jacarandas is a tale of two tragedies, the national and the personal. Of a love that needs constant watering and a unity that is chosen rather than ready-made. Sisterhood, just like any love or person, is not perfect. But in the case of the Ashraf family, when it prevails—whether that be in the slightest of smiles or the biggest of sacrifices—it is a barrier against the sands of time and tribulations that threaten to swallow all of us, though some more than most.' - Meg Hughes for Zimmer Magazine

'This book broke me, and then healed back. An astonishing debut that deserves all the praise!!!' - @jan.favors