The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali

Rukhsana Ali has a place at Caltech waiting for her and a girlfriend she cannot tell her parents about. Keeping Ariana secret seems temporary: a few more months, and she hopes to begin a more independent life. When her mother discovers their relationship, that plan collapses. A trip to Bangladesh brings pressure to conform, alongside connections with relatives who offer unexpected support. Reading her grandmother's diary gives Rukhsana another way to understand the choices and restrictions facing the women in her family. Protecting her education and her relationship now means asserting the right to choose her own future without simply abandoning the people and culture that matter to her.