A young academic travels to Iraq to help a British Asian who joined IS at 15, in this rollicking account of a UN deradicalisation programmeQuestions around our individual and collective beliefs, and the consequences of holding them close to our hearts, form the basis of Nussaibah Younis’s stinging and entertaining debut novel. Nadia is a lecturer in criminology at UCL whose latest academic article on Islamic State brides has garnered global attention. Now the UN has its eyes on her. Her research, which asks questions such as, “What’s the appropriate punishment for IS brides who didn’t commit any violent crimes?”, “Can we detain people just because of their beliefs?” and “Should we try to change their beliefs?”, takes her to Iraq, where she’s tasked with leading a UN deradicalisation organisation: UNDO. But, she discovers, “half the UN doesn’t believe in deradicalisation”.Escaping a “juvenile heartbreak” and a strenuous relationship with her mother, Nadia arrives in Baghdad with...
Summary:
*Fundamentally* by Nussaibah Younis is a witty and gripping debut novel that follows Nadia, a criminology lecturer, as she leads a UN deradicalisation program in Iraq. Nadia's mission to help Sara, a British Asian woman who joined ISIS at 15, challenges her own beliefs and confronts the complexities of bureaucracy, identity, and radicalism. The novel explores themes of faith, friendship, and the slow process of healing, blending sharp humor with emotional depth. Through Nadia's journey of self-discovery and her evolving relationship with Sara, Younis delivers a compelling narrative that highlights the nuances of human connection and the search for belonging.
