Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis

A wildly funny and razor-sharp exploration of love, family, religion and the decisions we make in pursuit of belonging. 'By normal, you mean like you? A slag with a saviour complex?' Nadia is an academic who's been disowned by her puritanical mother and dumped by her lover, Rosy. She decides to make a getaway, accepting a UN job in Iraq.

Tasked with rehabilitating ISIS women, Nadia becomes mired in the opaque world of international aid, surrounded by bumbling colleagues. Sara is a precocious and sweary East Londoner who joined ISIS at just fifteen. Nadia is struck by how similar they are: both feisty and opinionated, from a Muslim background, with a shared love of Dairy Milk and rude pick-up lines.

A powerful friendship forms between the two women, until a secret confession from Sara threatens everything Nadia has been working for.
 
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"Funny, gripping and compassionate" - Dolly Alderton
 
"Funny, dirty and scathing truthful" - Hanif Kureishi
 
"Essential reading" - Jonathan Coe