The Henna Wars

Sixteen-year-old Nishat, a Muslim Bangladeshi living in Ireland, faces an array of challenges: she comes out as a lesbian to her parents but they shut her out; Flavia, a childhood friend, returns to the school and they develop a relationship, but Nishat is angry when Flavia runs a henna business to compete with her own in a school competition; and Nishat is outed at school and faces racism as well as homophobic bullying. Through it all, Nishat stays strong and carries on with a clear sense of herself. This engaging novel, suitable for literature circles, small group reading, and class discussions, focuses on themes of racism, homophobia, bullying, identity, and cultural appropriation.