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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable and perfect for summer!, June 5, 2009
Take a peek into the lives of three diverse women and see how their culture and life choices have brought them together.
Told from multiple points of view, Cutting Loose weaves the lives of three women into an entertaining novel with solid characters and plenty of conflict. Offering more than just the standard 'chick-lit' fare, Nadine Dajani draws on her own her own exotic life experiences to create characters who struggle to reconcile their culture with life in sultry, hedonistic Miami.
Ranya, Zahra, and Rio each arrive in Miami with baggage from their other lives. Ranya escapes Montreal and her sham of a marriage, Zahra leaves Boston and a career-ending disaster which was precipitated by a one night stand with an unrequited love, and Rio runs from the slums of Honduras and manages to climb her way to the top of a niche magazine.
From the cover, I figured the book would follow a predictable path and that the women would become fast friends despite their differences. How wrong I was! Each character grapples with her own internal and external conflicts but the friendships I predicted never materialized. Instead, mutual respect and camaraderie developed.
Ranya struggles with the deeply ingrained rules of her Muslim upbringing, while Zahra buries her emotions and feelings for her boss in work and comfort food, and Rio tries hard to stay emotionally unattached in a 5-year 'fling' with her boss's younger brother.
Religion, relationships, and personal growth are strong themes throughout the novel. The three women try to supress parts of themselves but ultimately realize that in order to find true love and personal happiness they have to embrace their whole selves. They are dynamic characters who change and develop with every experience.
Overall, this book was an entertaining and interesting read--perfect to get me in the mood for summer! I enjoyed the multicultural angle, characters, and Miami backdrop.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From S. Krishna's Books, December 4, 2008
I first heard about Nadine Dajani's novels through the website of the wonderful Jess Riley, author of Driving Sideways. She featured an interview about Ms. Dajani's new novel, Cutting Loose, and I was immediately intrigued. Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I love multicultural fiction, especially when that fiction can fit in the genre of chick lit. This book seemed to fit the bill, and I was thrilled when Ms. Dajani's publicist sent me not just one, but both of her books to review!
I think the strongest point of Cutting Loose is its wonderful characters. When I first picked up the book, I figured that these three women, Ranya, Rio, and Zahra, would become friends and that's what the novel would be about because that's how most chick lit works. Imagine my surprise when these three didn't become fast friends; instead, Zahra and Rio seemed to resent and severely dislike Ranya. I thought that added an extra ingredient to the novel and I really enjoyed it.
I liked the character of Ranya a lot, though Rio and Zahra didn't. I might have actually found their immediate judgment of her irritating, had the book not also been told from their points of view. Sometimes a book with multiple narrators can be confusing, but in this case, the tool is very effective. It is easy to understand why each of these women act in the manner they do. Dajani is a talented writer who really understands the dynamics of female relationships.
I also loved that these women were from very different backgrounds. Yes, Ranya and Zahra were both from the Middle East, but basically from completely different worlds within that area. I like how Dajani makes clear that growing up rich in Saudi Arabia is not the same as growing up as a poor Palestinian; too often, the Middle East is painted as one homogenous area. It's nice to be reminded that's not the case. And Rio, being from Honduras, throws something entirely different into the mix.
Cutting Loose is well-written, fun, easy to read, and very interesting. If you enjoy chick lit, or books about different cultures, don't miss this one! A big thank you to Ms. Dajani and her publicist for getting these books to me and making sure I received them!
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
superb character study , October 4, 2008
In Montreal, originally from Riyadh, Ranya looks forward to ending her marriage to a gay person when she meets fourth generation Lebanese-American Georges who intervenes when an idiot opens her mouth about Arab terrorists.
Georges leaves her to sit with his subordinate business woman Zahra, who has doubts ingrained since her West Bank childhood re a woman succeeding in business and her attraction to Joe who doe not reciprocate.
In Miami Honduran expatriate Rosario, called Rio by friends, knows she should not have an intermittent affair with Joe, as she as the editor in chief of Sueltate magazine sort of works for him though his brother Georges runs the publication.
The key to this superb character study is the prime cast members all are fully developed and seem genuine as each seeks happiness although none appear to know how to obtain it. Their lives intermingle with Ranya and Zahra being childhood friends and Georges the connection to Rio. Readers will relish following the escapades of the women and the two brothers who chase them whether it is Canada, Florida or London. Nadine Dajani provides a wonderful contemporary tale.
Harriet Klausner
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