Sarah Ayoub, The Cult of Romance, HarperCollins Publishers, May 2022, 320 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781460758946
Natalie wants nothing to do with love and marriage, for her, this is a scam and sad end for girls with so much more potential in life. Rather, she only cares for social justice issues such as feminism and the refugee crisis. Any chance Natalie has, she will make her case to anyone who contradicts her beliefs or needs a reality check. Over the years, she has surrounded herself with like-minded friends, but how will she react when her best friend travels to Lebanon and comes back engaged?!
Natalie was raised by her father and super traditional Tayta (grandmother) who still babies her son. Natalie’s Tayta constantly attempts to lecture and remind Natalie of what girls her age should be able to achieve in the household. In response to this criticism, Natalie consistently keeps herself busy by juggling her law studies, work experience, cake making business and baby-sitting duties. Through her experiences as a child of a single parent after being “abandoned” by her mother, and babysitting children of couples falling out of love, Natalie is set that romance is just a cult and marriage is a death sentence. With all these tasks and beliefs keeping her busy, when her best friend returns from her holiday in Lebanon announcing her engagement, Natalie’s world begins to fall. Now, with extra responsibilities as maid of honour, and attempting to adhere to tradition and appease judgemental relatives, life between two cultures becomes harder to manage. Natalie’s façade of her identity is questioned as she faces the true roots of her culture and meets a boy – George that puts her opinions in another perspective. A novel about coming of age, second generation immigrants, contemporary justice issues and of course, romance!
Sarah Ayoub is a well-versed author in academia. She holds a PhD in migrant Australian YA literature which she makes clear through many of the contemporary migrant topics she expresses throughout this read. Sarah has infused her cultural traditions from Lebanon into her novel which made her book more expressive and richer. Ayoub continues to write with passion in both fictional and non-fictional settings being a journalist for The Guardian and The Sydney Morning Herald. Writing from her past experiences, The Cult of Romance is very well written and engages the audience through humour, the true experiences of intergenerational conflict and the bittersweet nature of strong friendships.
I found this read had quite a predictable storyline and a slow start but was refreshing nonetheless. It touches on many important contemporary issues such as the refugee crisis and the many troubles second generation immigrants face. Having been raised in an Asian household with parents still adapting to Australia, I often experienced similar experiences to the protagonist. My parents seemed stricter than western parents, tried to limit me mixing with boys and taught me the important etiquette of being a girl. While attempting to fulfill my expectations at home and learning western ways, I was often conflicted and sometimes even wished I could grow up white. However, after reading Ayoub’s novel, it rationalised my parent’s actions and how they had my best interest in their heart. Having left their hometown during a war-stricken time, their different mindset is based on all the tradition they have left. I recommend this read to those who are interested in social justice, romance, and immigrant stories.
Reviewed by Anna Tran
