These Impossible Things    by Salma El-Wardany Order:  USA  Can Grand Central, 2022 (2022) Hardcover, CD, e-Book     Reviewed by Barbara Lingens Three young and modern Muslim women, best friends since childhood, must go through a painful period of separation as they step into the world to become who they are meant to be. The rhythms of Muslim family life are lovingly portrayed, as is the anguish when ritual and custom are denied. These Impossible Things shows us that romantic love sometimes makes loving and honoring family very difficult. Kees, Malak and Jenna always have each other's backs, but when romance comes, things get complicated. Only Jenna seems to have the most realistic answer: enjoy your dates, but remember that in conservative Muslim families it's going to be the parents who choose your partner for life. To their peril, Kees and Malak fight that, and even Jenna has troubles. The families of these women are well-educated and generally well off, and non-Muslim characters are depicted positively. A beautifully told story, this novel would probably be quite different if this were not so. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews