Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is a queer immigrant coming of age story set in Corona- a neighborhood in Queens- in the 1980s. 

Razia is a Pakistani American girl who is religious, smart, and eager to please her family and friends. The vivid descriptions of childhood and life in the 1980s will resonate with many, even if Razia has little in common with you. The novel reads more like a connected short story collection, told in vignettes that build rich characters and a clear sense of time and place. 

This novel really shines in the second half, which I devoured in a day after spending several days getting to that point. The last few stories show Razia discovering her sexuality and how she will find a way to be herself in a conservative and semi-isolated community.

I wouldn’t change a single thing about this book, the slow build created the space for an ending that felt so open but also solid. This is the kind of book that I like to imagine being a classic in the future, it captures a time so we’ll and also the timelessness of not fitting the expectations of your family. Read this, please.