Love From Mecca to Medina

Adam and Zayneb are a couple, but, at the moment, they are, at least geographically, far apart. Adam is at home in Doha, Qatar, trying to decide what he can do to express his artistic abilities and make a living at the same time. Zayneb is at school in Chicago, and her life is full of stress from school, from friends, and from her lack of living accommodation. Then, the two of them have the opportunity to travel together. They plan to spend a week on the Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, tracing the hijrah in real life. While they expect that this will bring them closer together, in fact, so many obstacles seem to appear that they begin to drift further apart and begin to wonder whether their love is strong enough to withstand so many problems.

S. K. Ali’s readers will recognize the main characters and many of the supporting cast as well who have appeared in earlier books like Love From A to Z, (www.cmreviews.ca/node/898) and Misfit in Love. (www.cmreviews.ca/node/2497). Zayneb and Adam undertake both a physical journey and a spiritual one in the novel. Their pilgrimage allows them to learn more about themselves and, eventually, more about their relationship. So many life lessons mean that both characters grow and develop within the story.

A major theme of Love From Mecca to Medina is the importance of communication and not keeping secrets in relationships with family and friends and romantic partners. Adam is dealing with work insecurities and his feelings that he must be able to have a career which will earn money as well as nurture him. However, he doesn’t want to share his worries and ask his dad for a loan, nor does he want Zayneb to know how unhappy he is.

For her part, Zayneb has worries concerning rumors circulating about her at school and about a possible year of study in The Hague if she is accepted for the externship she wants as part of her law studies. And once the trip begins, she has to face that fact that one of the women in the group is an old girlfriend of Adam’s who appears to be intent on rekindling their relationship.
The novel is written from the points of view of both main characters, alternating between Zayneb and Adam so readers see their assumptions and misunderstandings and understand why each of them thinks as they do. There are times in the book when it seems repetitive, and there is little communication or action from either main character. Reconciliation is inevitable, but there is a roller coaster of emotions as the two find their way to a happier relationship. Love, therefore, is another main theme in the story. Ali’s readers finish Love From Mecca to Medina with a better understanding not only of human relationships but also the divine love which is an integral part of the Muslim tradition.

Many readers will automatically relate to this novel, and others will learn from it. Ali gives her Muslim readers characters who will resonate with them and whom they will enjoy. Non-Muslims will learn more about the religion and those who practice it. Ali’s pride in being Muslim shines through the book, and readers are fortunate that she teaches and shares a great deal about Islam.

Love From Mecca to Medina is S. K. Ali’s fourth novel, and her fans will be glad to reconnect with their favourite characters and to laugh and cry along with them. Her author’s notes at the end of the novel give readers an insight into her methods, and readers will agree that she has, indeed, told another great story.