Stories of identity, faith, and belonging

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For young adults whose stories are too often overlooked

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Two stories about finding your place

Ayaan Mohamud's debut and follow-up YA novels.

Book cover with illustration of a woman's face, dark background, and text reading "Silence is safe. My truth is loud. You think you know me" by Ayaan Mohamud.

You Think You Know Me

People like me are devils before we are angels.

Hanan has always been good and quiet. She accepts her role as her school's perfect Muslim poster girl. She ignores the racist bullies.

A closed mouth is gold - it helps you get home in one piece.

Then her friend is murdered and every Muslim is to blame.

The world is angry at us again.

How can she stay silent while her family is ripped apart? It's time for Hanan to stop being the quiet, good girl. It's time for her to stand up and shout.

"Will leave you feeling moved and inspired. A must read!" 

COSMOPOLITAN

Get your copy at:

Book cover titled 'The Thread That Connects Us' by Ayaan Mohamud, featuring illustrated profiles of two women facing opposite directions, one in a pink hijab and the other in a blue hijab, with the phrases 'Divided by Hate.' and 'Joined by Blood.' at the top.

The Thread That Connects Us

A story of shared blood and bad blood, endings and beginnings...

Safiya has struggled to pick up the pieces of her family since her dad left them and moved to Somalia. She refuses to trust in love, despite wishing she could fall for boy-next-door Yusuf... And then her dad moves back to town with his new family, shattering her life all over again.

Halima doesn't want to move to England. She resents her stepdad for dropping her in a strange new life with a new language to learn - replacing her friends with bullies who set out to shame her.

When the girls are thrown together at school, it's hate at first sight. But as they uncover life-changing secrets from their parents' past, they begin to realise...What if the key to all their problems lies in their sisterhood?

“An empowering paean to sisterhood.”

THE OBSERVER

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Meet Ayaan

Ayaan Mohamud is a Somali author and medical editor based in North-West London. She writes contemporary, young adult fiction that centres Muslim and Somali characters, because she believes everyone deserves to see themselves as a protagonist.

Ayaan might seem like the nerdy-type, but when she's not writing, or complaining about writing, this ex-doctor finds joy in annoying her husband and daydreaming about Karak chai and Greggs' Tottenham cakes and just maybe, finally getting an indoor plant.

WHAT READERS AND CRITICS ARE SAYING

“A tremendous YA debut from a powerful new talent.”

The Guardian

“"YOU THINK YOU KNOW ME is devastatingly powerful and utterly stunning. Fiercely brilliant from beginning to end."

Beth Reekles, author of The Kissing Booth

“An empowering paean to sisterhood.”

The Observer

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