Fashionably Late [Paperback]

Nadine Dajani (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2007

Convinced you're having a quarter-life crisis? Think maybe a soul-searching trip might help?

 

Aline Hallaby, a nice, obedient Arab girl, has it all---a budding career at one of Montreal's most prestigious accounting firms, a loving family, and a boyfriend of three years who has finally proposed. To top it all off, she's about to fly to Cancún with her accounting classmates to celebrate passing the Uniform Final Examination. There's just one tiny problem: Ali has failed the exam. She hasn't told a soul. Not her parents. Not her boyfriend. And definitely not her boss, who will boot Ali out the door as soon as she finds out.

 

So rather than suffer through seven days in Cancún with her drunken-yet-successful classmates, Ali grabs her best friends, Sophie and Jasmin, and flees to the farthest place her airfare cancellation insurance will carry her: the resort town of Varadero Beach, Cuba. . . .

 

The sea, sand, and sun, not to mention the attentions of a certain Cuban dive instructor, soon have Ali feeling wonderfully careless and increasingly reckless. Caught up in a whirlwind of rum-soaked nights and moonlit Havana strolls, this good Muslim girl gets her very first taste of what it would be like to be bad, really bad. But will what happens in Cuba stay in Cuba? Or is Ali finally ready to break out of the good-girl mold and grow into the woman she was meant to be?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Plucky, 20-something, Lebanese-Canadian Aline Hallaby has a promising career at one of Montreal's "Big Four" accounting firms; a marriage proposal from her nice (if unexciting) boyfriend; and a closet filled with Cavalli, Chloe, and Christian Louboutin. When she fails her final professional certification exam, the once-dutiful Arab girl plunges headlong into a quarter-life crisis, fleeing to Cuba for a week of heady rebellion (mojitos, men, participation in a beauty pageant) with her two closest friends. There, Ali is forced to decide if she will continue to live according to the expectations of her traditional Muslim parents, or chase her own dreams. The question of how Ali should live is a provocative one, and Dajani's wit, warmth and insight shine through in turning over its nuances, but there are few surprises to be found in how Ali answers it.
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Review

"The most stylish accessory at the beach this summer is sure to be Nadine Dajani's Fashionably Late. This sexy and smart debut will leave you laughing, cheering, and trying to book a trip to Cuba."--Sarah Mlynowski, author of Me vs. Me

"Fashionably Late is a wonderful story of East meets West. Aline navigates the waters between her overprotective family and their traditional values and what she really wants for herself in life. I read it in one sitting!"--Michelle Cunnah, author of 32AA

"Fashionably Late is an entertaining, cross-cultural debut, filled with honesty, humor and heart."--Wendy French, author of sMothering, and After the Rice
 
"From the chic boutiques of Montreal to the sultry nightlife of Cuba, Fashionably Late sparkles with wit and humor.  You will fall in love with Dajani's engaging Lebanese-Canadian heroine."--JoAnn Hornak, author of Adventures of a Salsa Goddess 
 
"Fashionably Late is a compelling read for women who find themselves at the crossroads. It's a must-have for the most fashionable of book bags."--Mary Castillo, author of Hot Tamara and In Between Men

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (May 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765317427
• ISBN-13: 978-0765317421
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,744,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Lebanon and raised in Montreal, Nadine Dajani was an accountant for the offshore hedge fund industry in her previous life. She's now a full-time novelist (and online shopping addict) and travel magazine contributor. Nadine can be found in front of her outrageously girly pink laptop, sipping non-fat venti cappuccinos at coffee shops around Grand Cayman. She loves hearing from her readers, so drop by her blog at newbienovelist.blogspot.com and say hi!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Charmingly Imperfect, Impassioned Heroine Crosses Cultures, September 25, 2007

By 

Rachel Kramer Bussel "Cupcakes Take the Cake ... (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fashionably Late (Paperback)

Nadine Dajani's debut novel takes the girl-finding-herself theme and makes it her own with Aline, a Lebanese-Canadian accountant with dreams of fashion and romance and love. At 22, she's young, but she already knows that the life her parents want her to lead?marrying Brian, her boyfriend of three years, who she pretends she's not sleeping with, slogging away at accounting?isn't really working for her. When she fails a vital exam, she freaks out and flees to Cuba with her best friends Jaz and Sophie. There, the very tight friendship amongst the three both cements and unravels. Free from the pressures of home, they can go wild, but Aline isn't sure what to do about her growing attraction to sexy Miguel.

At times, her self-pity and berating seems a bit over the top, especially before she's even done anything with Miguel, but Dajani makes it clear that Aline is in turmoil. She also turns Aline from the label-conscious materialistic fashion queen she appears at first into someone in touch with (and searching for) her roots, and her observations of the beauty and heartbreak of Cuba, and how it reminds her of the Beirut of her youth, are some of the best parts of the book. Aline feels alone even amidst the people she considers her best friends, withholding secrets from them for fear of judgment.

When she returns, she has to face Brian's wrath, a harsh office environment, and a work crisis that calls on her to push herself beyond her comfort level and take some risks. In the process, she starts to figure out what she might want, not free from her family, but not letting them dictate her life.

Dajani is best when contrasting cultures, showing the similarities and differences in class and culture amongst Aline and her Lebanese friends and their Canadian counterparts, as well as the Cubans they meet. She doesn't try to make Aline a poster child for anything, yet over the course of the book, Aline tries to see more closely where her restrictive parents are coming from. There's the stereotypical boss from hell, but Dajani paints even Aline's office with its own unique humor. There's plenty of fun and fashion and beach-side adventure here, not to mention sexual attraction, but there's a lot more as well. Fashion isn't painted as some wealthy insiders' club, but something Aline is drawn to and is willing to take risks for. I was riveted to this wonderful story and am looking forward to Dajani's next book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fashionably Late is a fabulous read ..., September 5, 2007

By 

Jennifer A. Collins (Cayman Islands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fashionably Late (Paperback)

It's hard to believe this is Nadine Dajani's first novel and I, for one, will be lined up for her next book. Aline is a lovable (and laughable) main character and any woman who has wondered "how did I get here? and is here where I want to be??" will laugh and cry with Aline as she struggles to find her own way. The prose is entertaining with an edge that makes it believable. I read it all the way through in one sitting and loved every word. Can't wait for the next one!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most entertaining books I've ever read!, August 1, 2007

By 

Wendy Toliver "YA Author" (UT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fashionably Late (Paperback)

Fashionably Late is such a fun, inspiring, vivid, and entertaining story. I loved it from beginning to end, and I feel like I *know* the characters. I can't wait to read Nadine Dajani's future novels.

I highly recommend this book whether you're sprawled out on a sunny beach or cozied up in your duvet while it's snowing outside (and dreaming about a sunny beach).