You can read the synopsis and recognise instantly how timely this novel is. After reading it, I can also tell you that it is very moving. The loneliness that Bilal feels during his period of grief won’t be new to those of us who know it. The shock at thinking you know your neighbours and realising you really don’t, won’t be new to those of you who know that too.

The complex themes of identity, home, Britishness, friendship, love and loss are covered well so while diversifying our feeds are at the forefront (as they should always be), you can add this to your list of books to read. I will say that at 400 pages, it is a long one and I did feel that it dragged a little but perhaps it needed to be that long in order to really delve deep into the complex notion of what it means to be a British, brown Muslim in a community full of people who are not.

Upon her deathbed, Bilal's Mum implores Bilal to build a mosque in the hope that it will bring him back to his faith. Bilal, his wife Mariam and stepson Haaris live in Babbel's End, a green and pleasant village where they have mostly been welcomed. But Bilal is worried and anxious - Saif, Mariam's first husband is back on the scene and trying to be a father to Haaris after a long absence. Why is Mariam so distant? When their Khala Rukshana comes to stay with them after a fall, she is to have an impact on their lives and on those of the villagers that will be her lasting legacy.

When Bilal decides that he wants to fulfil his mother's wishes, little does he know how much this will divide Babbel's End. Unable to afford to buy land, the idea of converting one of the churches to a mosque is mooted. Led by Shelley Hawking, those against the idea are vociferous in their denunciation. But there are others, like the wonderfully eccentric farmer Margaret, who are behind the idea and fully supportive of the Hasham family.

Khala observes the goings on and as she recuperates, she begins to take daily walks around the village. Meeting Shelley along the way, they walk together, and despite a language barrier, they become friends. They can tell one another things they haven't dared tell anyone else with no fear of judgement.

Just when it seems that the village will be forever divided, a common enemy, in the form of a construction company wanting to knock down their church, comes along and the village of Babbel's End pull together to fight the greedy bigwigs.

The cast of characters in this lovely book are brilliant - stubborn, determined, eccentric, and kind. It deals with grief, and family, friendship and unrequited love amongst other themes. A beautiful and original story that will lift you up and leave you smiling.

I reviewed this book as part of my What I Read in August video on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/wwtPnuDv2ps

It has also featured in a book haul video, and will feature in future videos

The death of a parent is always hard, especially if he or she makes a deathbed request. How can you refuse? Bilal agrees to his mother’s request but it’s an impossible task – to build a mosque near his home in the village of Babbel’s End. If the village was in a Muslim country then it wouldn’t be such a big problem but Babbel’s End is in rural England. Bilal knows he has a fight on his hands and pretty soon, the village is torn in two.

This is a very timely book. It’s fair to say that tensions are running high in the UK and politics is becoming increasingly polarised. This novel reflects this but in a wisely observant way. Using multiple voices we get to hear from people on opposing sides. There’s Shelley, the leader of the ‘No to the mosque’ camp. At first she appears to be a NIMBY but it becomes clear that her motivation to control things stems from not being heard at home by her apathetic husband. There’s Bilal and his wife Mariam. His dedication to carry out his mother’s request rocks his marriage as well as the village. The vicar, Richard, is trying to hold the two sides of the village together as well as battle his love for one of his parishioners, Anne, a grieving mother. But my favourite character by far is Bilal’s Auntie Rukhsana. Bilal was raised by his mother and his auntie and so when his auntie becomes unwell, she comes to stay in Babbel’s End. She was widowed young and was sheltered by her older sister and the surrounding Muslim community. Removed from that safety net, she begins to grow in Babbel’s End. She speaks little English but it doesn’t stop her from finding friendship with Shelley. Despite being on opposing sides, Auntie Rukhsana’s generous spirit and perseverance wins Shelley over.

This wise and sensitive novel doesn’t shy away from the UK’s colonial past though. It’s not done in a ‘bashed over the head’ way but a subtle pointing out that the British brought their own culture, including churches, to a country it occupied i.e. India. That wisdom and sensitivity is extended to other topics, particularly grief in all its facets. From the loss of Bilal’s mother to the loss of Anne’s son and the effect that had on the village as a whole. There’s also Mariam’s grief of being abandoned by her first husband - the father of her son – and the temptation he brings when he comes back into her life.

So the main premise of this book may be the attempt to build a mosque in a village but there’s a lot more depth to it. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant, this is a story with wonderful characters that will live on long after you finish reading it.

I really enjoyed this, it was a very entertaining read, I absolutely loved the idea of Bilal trying to honour his mother’s memory and her dream. It makes for a very funny story, but also is a great read as it brings together a lot of issues in this country at the moment, I think it’s a wonderful read, because what is England or Britain, who gets to decide what is and isn’t allowed, about trying to fit in when it actually means you hide who you are. I just loved how it looks at a cross section of a village, but you can parallel it with a view of Britain. The characters were wonderful, well developed and even the supporting characters were fully formed with their own plots. I thought overall this was a wonderful story, yeah it’s light and entertaining but it’s a lot more too.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this one though I wasn't keen on the book. I was interested in reading it because I love Nadya Hussein and knew that the author had ghost written books for her in the past.

The storyline was far fetched about a British Muslim man who wants to build a mosque in a village that doesn't really need one. It was interesting reading about what goes into building a Mosque though.

What irritated me was the amount of language that was used and not translated, even insulting words for white people (I'm mixed race part Indian btw). On each page, there is quite a bit, which makes me wonder if the only people who would really like it are fans of chick lit, which I can take or leave or people who understand the language.

I'll give a few examples below:

"Khala, the buddi thinks your shalwar kameez is nice"

Now, there is no translation but when I tried to look it up a 'buddi' refers to a backwards person.

Not my cup of tea.

This book is Malik’s latest look at contemporary life through Muslim eyes, placed, this time, in a very, very English setting.

Bilal (Bill) Hasham and his wife Mariam and stepson Haaris live in the quintessentially English village of Babbel’s End. She writes for a local paper, he runs an accountancy firm and is on the parish council. His best friend seems to be the local vicar. They are accepted, it seems. Bilal’s family are back in Birmingham, where the couple originally met, although, after his mother dies his closest relative is his aunt, Khala Rukhsana. When Ruhksana has a fall, however, Bilal cannot let her stay alone in the home she shared with his mother so he brings her back to Babbel’s End. Her visit reminds Bilal of the promise he made to his mother on her deathbed – to build a mosque in the village – and these things combine with Bilal’s own grief to bring issues of race, religion, acceptance and prejudice to the fore. If the Parish Council (or rather the leader of the Council, Shelley Hawking) were upset about an overgrown shrub they are about to become hysterical about even the idea of a mosque. Divisions within the seemingly idyllic village go far beyond the issue of the mosque as past tragedies are dug up and old scores are settled.

Some great characters – I loved Ruhksana and the ebullient Birmingham gang of aunties – and some interesting points made about the fact that essential similarities are far more important than perceived differences. And, of course, when a common foe presents themselves a sensible community learns to appreciate the other’s point of view. (And we are all ‘other’ to someone).

This a sweet meditation on belonging, identity, love and loss set in a small village in this green and pleasant land. As a fan of Malik's first two books, I eagerly anticipated the release of this title. I was surprised (in a good way) to see that this work tackles something new and yet familiar. I found that this book contained more in terms of character development with the plot making space for supplementary characters to have their independent arcs. The third-person narrative was effective at facilitating this.
The main story and its ending were very moving and I particularly liked the nuanced story that underpinned Bilal and Mariam's relationship. However, the character who stole my heart was Khala Rukhsana. Khala represents to me the countless aunties who are a pillar of their communities but often viewed from a distance by the younger generations. Khala's story, her lost love, her poetic abilities and the warmth she spreads wherever she goes reminded me (and I hope will remind others) how interesting, exciting and worthy they are to learn more than how to cook from. The inclusion of that gorgeous original Urdu poem was also a delight.

I found the start of the book a little difficult to get into. However, it was not off-putting and was worth pushing on. A pleasant story with some really strong characters. A really good 3 1/2 stars from me.

A nice read about a small very English country town that is broken apart by Bilal, who wishes to build a mosque. For years he has tried to fit in quietly, and everyone in the town has just stayed quiet about everything that has ever happened in the past, so there are many unhealed wounds that are ripped open when all this comes to pass. Nicely put together with interesting characters

“She wondered: did you build a mosque in a place that felt like home? Or to make it feel like home?”

This Green and Pleasant Land is set in Babbel’s End, a traditional British village that is home to Bilal, his wife Mariam and stepson Haashim. Their quiet life is torn apart when accountant Bilal, acting on his mothers dying wish, decides to build a mosque in the village he calls home. Malik explores issues of racism, grief and identity. She also makes readers consider what it means to be British and what makes a place our home. As a British Muslim, this struck a chord- I have always felt British- but do others see me as such?

I found this book difficult to get in to, mainly because I didn’t like how Bilal just decided to build a mosque- he wasn’t really a practicing Muslim and building a mosque is not an easy thing to do! Nonetheless, I persevered, and did like elements of the book- Khala Rukshana was a favourite of mine- I thought her friendship with Shelley really was beautifully developed. 3.5/5 stars

This was a poignant, real and sometimes witty story about legacy, identity, community separation and togetherness. THIS GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND centred on community and family. This was an own voices exploration of muslim main characters navigating an often stuffy English village life. It was enjoyable and kept my attention most of the time.

Bilal and his family were navigating a recent bereavement, deathbed promises and guilt built on top of that legacy. Bilal decided that this promise to build a mosque in his little patch of England would be followed through and the journey to seeing this to fruition was the meat of this story. The characters around Bilal, his family, his community connections were witty and rich, full of prejudice and yet sometimes supportive. These characters were an eclectic mix and some were just plain eccentric.

What engaged me most was the laughs it brought to me as I identified with the struggles that Bilal had with the people around him and just how hard this goal would be to achieve. The descriptions and dialogue were rich and vibrant. The story gentle wove the familial and community philosophies, prejudices and politics into everyday life; just as it really is. An enjoyable read.

I had a eARC and audio review copy and so I did a combination read of both. The narration was good throughout and captured the nuances of the characters and dialogue, so I would recommend both formats.

I was expecting the cultural flair from this going in, having read Ayisha Malik's previous books, and with desi/Indian origins, the addition of Urdu words and some Punjabi didn't jar me a lot, though I expected some people without this knowledge would trip up a bit and need translations (which are provided at the end, but it would've read more seamless if the meaning had been worked into the prose itself). On this note, I wasn't disappointed.
But then maybe because the book I absolutely loved from Ms. Malik was Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged and the heroine was a 20-something young woman and this resonated with me with more ease, I found it hard to get into this story, the characters not gelling with me and I kept feeling distanced from them when I had once been swept into the very tale Ms. Malik wove. That was a bit of a disappointment, but once I got past this 'watching from the sidelines' feel, I was better able to enjoy the tale for the whole it was and acknowledge that it is a different plot and type from the aforementioned book.

I found this book quite off-putting to begin with but I am glad I persevered. The characters are likeable, and I eventually found it an easy and enjoyable read. It's not a book I will treasure for ever (but most books I read aren't), but it would make a very entertaining holiday read.

I LOVE this author and I was so glad to get a read of this book! it was such a pleasant story and read and really heart warming too. more from Malik please!

Bilal and Mariam are of Pakistani background. Bilal has his own accountancy business and the family have moved 8 years ago into a quiet village some distance from Birmingham where they had previously been living. They seem to have been accepted by the villagers and integrated into the local community. However, when Bilal’s mother dies, as a dying wish she asks Bilal to build a mosque in the village. Predictably this outrages the locals and disrupts the previously harmonious atmosphere.

The story is beautifully told, with humour and perception It sensitively explores the relationships, feelings and tensions between different racial groups.

This book was really hard to get in to, I had to push through, but it was worth it once I got a little bit further in. The characters grew on me eventually and it was worth reading to the end.

Hard to get into but then warmed to the characters particularly Bilal. He wants to fulfill his dead Mother’s wishes without causing too much conflict. Can he succeed? Written with humour and open mindedness

The fictional village of Babbel’s end is the setting for This Green and Pleasant Land, a quintessentially English place. It’s home to Bilal and his family although his roots are in Pakistan. This is a very funny and lighthearted exploration of cultural identity, religion and what can happen when you don’t quite fit in.
Although to be fair,this family most definitely fit into village life and always have. That is until Bilal decides to carry out his dying mother’s wishes to build a mosque in Babbel’s end which sparks controversy and conflict dividing what was once a harmonious community.
The humour is what makes this such an enjoyable read. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I warmed to the characters and storyline as this perhaps isn’t a title that I’d necessarily have picked up whilst browsing the bookshelves. Cue the adage ‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’!! Bilal himself is an odd character, mild mannered but very keen to keep the peace despite being responsible for causing havoc with his suggestion of a mosque. He doesn’t seem to have the courage of his convictions and would rather sweep all nasty behaviour under the carpet whilst contemplating life and the surreal nature it’s taken from his own recently dug grave! Sounds bizarre I know but it really tickled me. I couldn’t help but have some sympathy for a man that whilst dealing with unexpected outpourings of hatred from fellow residents is also wondering if his marriage is on the rocks. He does engender feelings of frustration so perhaps you can understand why Mariam’s head has been turned by the return of ex husband Saif.
Shelley is the instigator of outrage amongst the villagers ‘forcing’ them to take sides in the dispute with poor Reverend Richard stuck in the middle. Every village needs or has a character like Shelley (my knowledge from fictional novels only!!) and her and those in agreement with her really show their true colours. But all of this is dealt with in such a lighthearted gently mocking way that you can’t help but be detracted from what is a serious issue and instead be swept up in all the ensuing antics.
Without doubt my favourite character is kahal (aunt) Rukhsana who brings the community gradually back together in surprising ways. She’s such a sweet,funny lady with hidden talents,keen to finally embrace the English language and our peculiar ways which make for hilarious reading. It’s her unlikely friendship with Shelley that proves the tipping point in this countryside brouhaha, as well as a couple of great twists that turn events into one of a farcical nature. With a smattering of English and a few delightful Indian desserts to hand, Rukhsana manages to understand the behaviour of these people far better than Bilal or Mariam. Language in this case doesn’t seem to be such a huge barrier since this unassuming heroine of the hour is adept at reading body language and it’s amazing what can be learned about our fellow human beings this way.
I loved how many of the characters change over the course of events, mellowing and possibly coming round to new ways of being since this is also a novel about loss and grief and how we deal with that,as evidenced by Anne’s backstory as well as Bilal’s.
Towards the end the humour is replaced with a more bittersweet tone and perhaps concludes with an ending that is rather rose tinted but overall this novel is definitely worth a read and good for a laugh.
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Lovely story about the tensions in a small community when one of the residents wants to build a mosque. Very well written with great characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.