S.K. Ali continues the story of Adam and Zayneb in Love from Mecca to Medina. It all started in Love from A to Z and now we get to learn more about how these two loves are navigating their long distance relationship while also plunging into the most stressful times of their lives.

In Love from Mecca to Medina, Adam and Zayneb are still hopelessly in love. Planning a Thanksgiving trip and hoping to communicate to each other all the stresses of their separate loves on separate continents, stresses that you just can’t communicate over the telephone. When there is a change in their Thanksgiving plans it throws their relationship into a tailspin. 

Love from Mecca to Medina is once again a love story. S.K. Ali keeps her contract with the reader, there is a happily ever after, but she creates new challenges to keep us guessing and on our toes. In the first book of Adam and Zayneb’s love story, S.K. Ali tells the story in a series of marvels and oddities, this time around, the story is told through artifacts in a story box as well as via a beloved cat, Bertha Fatima. I love this device that she uses to navigate through the story. It grounds the story but also gives it a lightness. She gifts readers a little treasure in each chapter for us to hold onto.

I was enthralled by the setting of this story. As readers we travel to Mecca and Medina with Adam and Zayneb and have an opportunity to participate in an Umrah trip: an Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca and a visit to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. S.K. Ali’s descriptions are vivid. For myself, it was easy to fall into step with the characters as they performed their Umrah rituals. I was able to live right in the story thanks to the wonderful descriptions and snappy dialogue. I live very close to a mosque in the city and have many Muslim neighbours. It was such a joy to learn a little more about the culture and the rites and rituals that are sacred to the people in my neighbourhood. Books like Love from Mecca to Medina serve to not only entertain but to also build compassion and empathy for our friends and neighbours.

S.K. Ali certainly doesn’t skimp on the drama! There was a constant back and forth throughout the whole story. At times I just wanted to reach out and slap Adam and at other times I wanted to scream at Zayneb to be honest and tell Adam how she was feeling. S.K. Ali expertly walks this tightrope, creating tension and releasing it ever so slowly. The feelings of insecurity and the deep desire to provide and be accomplished are universal. Many readers will see their own journey’s reflected in Adam and Zayneb’s. I really appreciated how S.K. Ali ensured that Zayneb’s journey did bring her the peace it is meant to in the end. 

Once again S.K. Ali has captivated this reader’s heart through Adam and Zayneb’s story. I can’t wait to read what she has in store for these beloved characters, and those from her other books who always seem to make appearances in each other’s stories.