I wasn’t sure I would like this book but boy was I wrong I loved it
I laughed out loud in places and cried in others. It could be set in many a village in the great English countryside
Mariam and Bilal moved here from Birmingham to give their son a better life
Bilal's mum came to stay with them she shouted at Bilal for not remembering his roots, not speaking Urdu or praying enough
At her house she had dug a full size grave which she frequently lay in to contemplate her life and death
Just prior to her passing she told Bilal he must build a mosque
After Bilal mentioned this to his friend Richard who happened to be the local vicar, he said let’s see what we can do???
And Bilal starts his rollercoaster of a journey

A charming, feel good book set in a picturesque village. A clash of cultures ruffles feathers when one resident, who is Muslim plans to build a mosque following his mother's death. Battle lines are drawn with a range of characters clashing. With a number of plot twists, the village becomes united and moves into the 21st century.
An optimistic, hopeful book in a world where we can be so divided.

As if Ayisha Malik managed to better the Sofia Khan duology. I am shook. SHOOK.
Basically, if you thought Sofia Khan is not Obliged and the Other Half of Happiness were works of genius, take a seat because you ain’t seen nothing yet.

I don’t think I have the words to quite articulate what this book stirred in me, from our main protagonist, Bilal, with his insecurities to Miriam with her frustrations and the various villagers that add their voices t this incredible ensemble. Every one of them spoke to me in a way I’ve not experienced for a long time.



Everyone has a place they call home. But who gets to decide where you belong?
For years Bilal Hasham and his wife Mariam have lived contented, quiet lives in the sleepy rural village of Babbel’s End. Now all that is about to change.
On her deathbed, Bilal’s mother reaches for his hand. Instead of whispering her final prayers, she gives him a task: build a mosque in his country village.
Mariam is horrified by Bilal’s plan. His friends and neighbours are unnerved. As outrage sweeps Babbel’s End, battle lines are drawn. His mother’s dying wish reveals deeper divisions in their village than Bilal had ever imagined. Soon Bilal is forced to choose between community and identity, between faith and friendship, between honouring his beloved mother’s last wish and preserving what is held dear in the place that he calls home.

At its heart, this is an exploration of home and community and what those things mean to different people. Is it where you were born, where you choose to be or something else entirely? To Bilal, the quiet village he’s settled in with his wife and step son is home, he’s part of a community and he’s happy. Until all of a sudden he isn’t.

This Green and Pleasant Land is funny, engaging and real. Ayisha Malik manages to expertly weave the intelligent and compassionate narration we all loved from Sofia Khan into this story that tackles everything from islamophobia to grief and honestly, this was fantastic. I can’t stress enough how blown away I was by this! I remember saying when I posted my long list of Netgalley reads that I hadn’t gotten to yet that I was excited to read this and seriously, past Leah needs to have a word with herself because she could have experienced this so much sooner! This is Ayisha Malik’s best book. I can’t wait to read what comes next.

I loved this book 💕💕💕 This is a light-hearted and considered approach to how people behave towards each other when someone wants to introduce change within a comfortable community.

It’s about a Muslim family that lives quite comfortably in a predominantly white community. Bilal is a very well respected member of the parish council. The family is included, it belongs. This is until Bilal wants to introduce change by building a Mosque in the village. Oh my goodness no! God forbid!

I didn’t really get into it until around 30% through, then it gripped me.

Bilal’s mother’s dying wish was for him to build a Mosque in Babbel’s End and when he shared this desire with the community some of his friends and neighbours turned on the family. Others supported him wholeheartedly.

A reaction of NIMBY... ‘not in my back yard’ which got quite nasty to begin with and quite shocking.

‘How much had his mum understood when she’d asked him to build that mosque? Surely she’d have anticipated the breakdown that had ensued. Or perhaps she understood that doing things as you have always done them isn’t living; that to live is to change, however hard it might be.’

There’s humour, racism, prejudice, romance, faith, grief and heartwarming relationships explored throughout the course of the book. It’s about belonging, friendship, conflict, religion, culture, intimate relationships and ethnicity.

Ayisha gets across quite simply how cultures differ and how communities can divide when faced with diversity and change.

What I liked most was the introduction of Bilal’s aunt (Khala) Rukhsana. She made me smile, just loved her adorable character. What a gem. Her approach, philosophy and faith brought tears to my eyes.

‘In only seconds they’d passed it and were on a windy lane where Bilal stopped in a lay-by to let a car go by. The person waved at him. ‘You know him?’ asked Khala. ‘No.’ People were obviously politer in villages.’

‘Bilal steadied himself in the pub car park, only to catch sight of Khala’s shoe and socks combo again, which did nothing for his anxiety.’ 😂😂😂

‘Rukhsana decided that there must be something, other than Allah’s wisdom, that made Shelley’s lips so thin.’ 🤣🤣🤣

I imagine this to be a true to life reflection on how village life can be and this could quite easily be turned into a short TV series or play as it is more or less scripted throughout the book. Very cleverly pieced together.

This is a really special story, Ayisha has created a good mix of characters good and bad that we can all relate to. I would recommend everyone to read it.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley, Zaffre and Bonnier Books UK for this ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review. Publication date 30th April 2020.

Bilal, his wife, Mariam, and stepson, Haaris, are the only Muslim's living in the fictional English village of Babbel's End. On her death bed Bilal's mother's asks Bilal to build a mosque in the village. So he sets about trying to do this, resulting in much outrage from some of the residents of Babbel's End.

This book is full of great characters - some of nice and some very nasty! My favourite character by far was Khala Rukhsana. I think the book gives such an accurate (and sometimes uncomfortably true) depiction of village life.

While it's in an easy and entertaining read, it actually makes you think a lot about race, religion, identity and grief. I would really recommend this book, especially to any one who likes a bit of satire.

A mosque in the middle of England's green and pleasant land - over my dead body says the Chair of the parish. Demonstrates how a village, which sees itself as united is almost ripped apart when one of its residents wants to do something different. Heart-warming, delightful and charming.

This is a delightful read. I did find it a little slow and difficult to,get into at the start but the wonderful eccentric characters with a touch of humour soon draw the reader in. A book for our times with so many diverse ways of life and religious beliefs. Describes perfectly the quintessential English village it is so easy to imagine all the people depicted and the village politics therein plus it also is thought provoking about one's own community. I could imagine this being on television with a Vicar of Dibley type series.

This book was about a man, Bilal, who was tasked with the job of building a mosque by his mother. However, Bilal’s village does not want him to build a mosque. This book was full of outlandish scenes, like Bilal laying in the ground or participating in a nativity scene. But this book is about acceptance. The characters were original and interesting. The book offered an insightful, although somewhat outlandish, look at what it means to be Muslim in a secular world.

This Green and Pleasant Land is an absolute must read! Overflowing with wit, warmth and charm, I was transfixed by this story of love, faith and belonging. So insightful and sensitive is Ayisha Malik's writing, that I was laughing one moment and in tears the next. This intimate and quintessential British village that many would simply overlook is beautifully brought to life. Each character is distinct and masterfully constructed, and what initially brings conflict and apathy also brings hope and unlikely friendships.

Malik has skilfully challenged the notion of preconceptions and prejudices and has delivered an essential and thoughtful read on the power of identity and what it means to be British in today's world.

A standout book for 2020 and one that I'll be recommending year in and year out.

I found this book hard to get in to initially. I am so glad I persevered. So many threads running through the story, family relations, mother to son, nephew to aunt, husband to wife and father to step son. Add differing cultures in a small village. Conflict, unity, different perspectives and generations, arguing and finding common ground in the most unlikely friendships. I am very glad I read it to the end.

Bilal and Mariam have integrated well into the village of Babbels End. They love their life in. the quiet English village but then Bilal's mother dies.
On her deathbed she instructs Bilal to build a mosque in the village.
Mariam is horrified at the thought and the villagers are in agreement with her.
Poor Bilal - he wants to carry out his mother's wishes but doesn't want to upset the village.
Can he come up with a soloution that will please everyone?

This is a lovely story about Bilal who decides to fulfil his mother's dying wish of building a mosque in the rural village where he lives and what happens when he tries to do so.
I loved the descriptive text of the characters and the surroundings so much that I could easily picture it in my mind as I was reading.
This book has made me want to read more by this author.

A lovely book I enjoyed escaping from my world into theirs.Great characters characters that drew me really enjoyed.Will be recommending to my friends who will find it a reading treat,#netgalley#bonnerbooksuk

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is not my usual genre therefore am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I did thoroughly enjoy 'This Green and Pleasant Land', by Ayisha Malik, though I found it rather a slog at first. I was bemused by the idea of Sakeena's last wish to her son, Bilal and how he would go about implementing this wish - or even if he would. However, from this starting beginning, the storyline quickly becomes enmeshed in the lives of the characters within the local village and Bilal's thinking. There is little movement within the storyline for some time.
However, once I had settled into the story and become familiar with the characters, I was able to enjoy the humour of the novel and the hilarious descriptions of everyday life in a British village.
Even more intriguing, was the levels of racism displayed throughout the story - often in an offhand manner, as if the person concerned with did recognise their behaviour.
An eye-opening story and one worth sticking with throughout.
I received a free copy of 'This Green and Pleasant Land', by Ayisha Malik from Bonnier Zaffre, via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This book brought together so many elements I adore in a story. Is the book set in a small town in the British countryside? Check. Is there a large cast of memorable, small-town characters? Check. Is there a brown family who shakes everything up by deciding to build a mosque in the sleepy village? Check! One of the most impressive features of the story is the way it deals with a number of complex societal issues. It's not often that fear of change, bigotry, and racism is tackled in such an understanding and humane way. The author convincingly shares with us the thoughts and feelings of the various characters whose views land on different sides of the conflict. But if that weren't enough, the author also pulls us into a story covering the whole gamut of human emotion, including happiness, grief, love, doubt, friendship, forgiveness, and hope. I laughed out loud at times and shed some tears along the way. So far, this has been my favourite read of 2020.

This was such a fantastically written and insightful read. It’s such a brilliant look into British Citizens that have Muslim backgrounds. I especially loved the exploration of the British Muslim family dynamic partly due to the fact that I come from a similar background, it was surprisingly nice to be able to relate to the characters in this way since I usually can’t (because I generally prefer YA fiction)

Definitely an author I plan to follow for future releases.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy to review.

This was a lovely book to read. Idyllic place it all took place. Nice characters and well written. It flowed so well and was so easy to read. I just adored the whole book

I think I must reflect on this book because it beautifully written and it faces problems we are currently experiencing in Europe.
The cultural clash, the coexistence of different lifestyles and religions, the racism and the resistence to a world that is changing.
I loved the characters in this book because they're fleshed and relatable. You can read and think "This reminds me of so-and-so".
It's a beautiful reading experience and it's a lot of food for thought.
I liked the style of writing, the way the characters were developed and I liked the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This Green and Pleasant Land is based in Babbel's End, a small English village, were Bilal and his wife Mariam live along with their son Haaris. Saqeena, Bilal's mother, on her death bed wishes that her son builds a mosque in the place where he lives.

Bilal himself is not particularly religious, but as the idea starts to grow in his mind, it causes divides and frictions in his family and his community. I thought it was a very timely story, where English values are challenged and important questions are raised. It was interesting to see the views of the villagers to the idea of a mosque, and who took what side. I really liked the characters of Margaret and Tom they were both were frank in their speech, and the character of Khala was endearing and sad, but had a strength that I loved. There were several laugh out loud moment.. I enjoyed this book and it left me with a lot to think about. A good read I think for anyone that wants a book with heart as well as one that isn't afraid to bring up a contentious topic