[a:Shandana Minhas|1268657|Shandana Minhas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1469712306p2/1268657.jpg]

Rafina is an amazing book, describing the journey of Rafina who dreams of becoming a model/billboard girl. She is too poor for college and dismissive of marriage, the clear-eyed young woman cajoles her mother's friend and Radiance beauty parlour masseuse, Rosie Khala, into taking her on as an apprentice.
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She encounters people in Radiance - Nausheen, PJ, Nawal, Uzi, who are shown to be of various shades. Rafina has a good, but not great, relationship with all of them. She's shown to be optimistic always about her future. She loves Rosie Khala like her mother, and is devastated when she dies.
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Overall, I enjoyed this journey of Rafina from beauty parlour to billboards and TV commercials.
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I have seen other reviewers not liking it, but to be honest, I loved it. I really liked Rafina’s simplicity, her yearning for becoming a model. She struggles to be in good looks of Nausheen, PJ, Nawal and sometimes gets a scolding from these three. Rafina’s mother is shown to be too busy in her son & her ignoring Rafina. So, Rafina finds solace in Rosie Khala.

Overall, this book was a good journey of Rafina from a beauty parlour to the modelling industry of Pakistan. I loved the book. Looking forward to read other books by the author. ❤