Tania Malik's Newest Novel "Hope You Are Satisfied" is a MUST-READ for Gulf Expats

 If you are or have been an expat in the Gulf, then this is a must-read!

Cover image from Goodreads

Let me preface this review with a confession: I’ve lived in Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar in the Gulf as an expat (after the Gulf War in 1990–1991), and I absolutely felt a connection to the protagonist, Riya, and her cohort of colleagues (Grace, Cedric Uday, Amir, Rohit, Hanna, Jette, and Freddy, et al.) at Discover Arabia as they do their best to keep all of their clients happy and navigate living life in the desert. So, my opinions about this fantastic novel are 100% biased. And although I have not lived in the UAE as an expat, I have visited and have friends who work there and have had similar experiences to Riya and her gang.

The story primarily focuses on Riya prior to the Gulf War as she works to send most of her earnings “back home” (to India) to support her mother and sister and her father who has left the three for another woman and the dream of opening a new restaurant. Riya acknowledges that all of her co-workers may have various reasons for moving to Dubai but believes that it mainly comes down to money where earnings are higher.

From the outset, it’s clear that Riya isn’t her boss’ favourite. But Simon, her boss, has her do a job for a special contact, César, and the stakes are high, especially as this story is set against the backdrop of countries in the Gulf fraught with tension as they wait to see what Iraq (Saddam Hussein) will do.

While I’m not always a fan of fiction that is more plot-heavy, what I loved about Malik’s story were the relationships between Riya and Grace, Riya and Lucy – her sister, Riya and an American, Jack – deployed with the US Military – and Riya and Freddy. Riya’s character development and her eventual confession show how much she grows during the story and how she acknowledges how others have helped her and how she has accomplished things on her own. It’s a story of strong, female autonomy, and in a country where expats are ranked based on their skin colour, it’s empowering to hear how Riya speaks to Simon at the end of the story as she advocates for Grace, her colleague, roommate, and friend.

And you can’t tell me that Malik didn’t set the scene perfectly for readers! There were moments when I was transported back in time to the hot and dry days of December when I lived in the Gulf and was thankful not to have to shovel snow that was knee high back at home in Canada! The scenes in the souk, the airport, and – of course – the desert reminded me of a life and home that always, in the weirdest ways, when I least expect it.

If you’re a fan of sojourner fiction, stories about expats, relationships, and/or personal growth and development, then this could absolutely be for you!

Many thanks to NetGalley and VERVE Books for allowing me to read an ARC of Tania Malik's "Hope You Are Satisfied"!