A Girl Like That

Offering a contemporary perspective of complex cultural topics, this is a story about Zarin, a young Saudi Arabian woman who struggled with the restrictions she faced as a woman in a gender-stratified society. Her life and reality in Saudi Arabia are brought to life through flashbacks from various perspectives following her and her friend’s car crash. As Zarin’s narrative emerges, readers can understand that things are not always what they seem and that everyone has a story. The novel could be used as an independent reading or in literature circles for senior secondary students. Teachers may prompt students to explore the different ways the novel is constructed and how readers can come to understand the main character, in the end, also allowing students to explore the diverse lived experiences highlighted throughout the tale.