Sara Hamdan’s debut novel What Will People Think? arrives as a refreshing voice in contemporary literary fiction, delivering a nuanced coming-of-age story that seamlessly weaves together themes of cultural identity, family secrets, and the courage to embrace one’s authentic self. This 400-page journey follows Mia Almas, a young Palestinian-American woman navigating the complex terrain between her conservative upbringing and her dreams of comedic stardom in New York City.
A Story That Resonates Across Cultures
The novel opens with Mia living a carefully compartmentalized life—by day, she’s a dutiful fact-checker at Vibe Media, a position that satisfies her traditional grandparents’ expectations, and by night, she transforms into a bold stand-up comedian on Manhattan’s comedy circuit. This duality immediately establishes the central tension that drives the narrative: the exhausting performance of code-switching between different versions of ourselves to meet varying social expectations.
Hamdan demonstrates remarkable skill in crafting a protagonist who feels both specifically Palestinian-American and universally relatable. Mia’s internal struggles with authenticity, family obligations, and romantic desires will resonate with readers regardless of their cultural background, while the specific details of her Arab-American experience provide rich, authentic texture that elevates the story beyond generic coming-of-age territory.
The Art of Dual Narratives
One of the novel’s most compelling structural elements is the inclusion of Mia’s grandmother Teta’s story, set in 1940s Palestine. These historical chapters, written in Teta’s voice and discovered through a hidden journal, create a powerful parallel narrative that illuminates how patterns of love, loss, and difficult choices echo across generations.
The Palestine sections are particularly well-researched and emotionally resonant, depicting the Nakba period with sensitivity and historical accuracy. Hamdan doesn’t use this backdrop as mere window dressing; instead, she demonstrates how historical trauma and displacement continue to shape family dynamics decades later. The story of Zeina (Teta’s real name) and her forbidden romance with British soldier Richard provides both historical context and emotional depth that enriches Mia’s contemporary struggles.
Character Development and Cultural Authenticity
Mia’s character arc is expertly crafted, showing a gradual evolution from someone who hides behind careful facades to a woman willing to risk everything for authenticity. Her relationship with her grandparents—particularly the revelation about Jeddo’s true identity—adds layers of complexity that prevent the story from falling into predictable patterns.
The supporting characters are equally well-developed:
- Phaedra, the glamorous new neighbor, serves as both catalyst and mirror for Mia’s own journey toward self-acceptance
- Jackson, the love interest, avoids the typical romantic comedy pitfalls by being genuinely supportive and understanding
- Katie, the ambitious colleague, represents the complicated nature of friendship when career aspirations collide with loyalty
Hamdan’s portrayal of the Arab-American experience feels authentic without being educational or performative. She captures the specific pressures of representing one’s entire culture, the exhaustion of constantly explaining oneself, and the complex negotiations required when dating across cultural lines.
Humor That Serves a Purpose
The comedy elements in What Will People Think? work on multiple levels. Mia’s stand-up routines, scattered throughout the novel, provide insight into her character while also delivering genuine laughs. Hamdan understands that the best comedy often emerges from pain and cultural observation, and Mia’s jokes about airport security, family expectations, and identity struggles feel both funny and poignant.
The author demonstrates a keen understanding of how humor can be both a defense mechanism and a form of truth-telling. Mia’s evolution as a comedian mirrors her personal growth—her early sets rely on safe, expected material, while her later performances become more vulnerable and authentic.
Areas for Improvement
While What Will People Think? succeeds on many levels, it’s not without its minor flaws. The pacing occasionally suffers in the middle section, particularly during some of the workplace scenes at Vibe Media. The office dynamics, while realistic, sometimes feel less engaging than the family and comedy storylines.
Additionally, the resolution feels somewhat rushed. After building tension around Mia’s immigration concerns for her grandparents and the potential consequences of her public exposure, the legal solutions arrive a bit too conveniently. A more gradual resolution might have felt more earned and realistic.
The character of Adriana, Jackson’s girlfriend, remains somewhat underdeveloped, existing primarily as an obstacle rather than a fully realized person. Given the novel’s otherwise strong character work, this feels like a missed opportunity.
Literary Merit and Social Commentary
Hamdan’s prose is confident and engaging, with a voice that captures Mia’s sardonic humor while maintaining emotional depth. The author skillfully handles sensitive topics like undocumented immigration, cultural assimilation, and interfaith relationships without heavy-handedness or oversimplification.
The novel makes important contributions to contemporary discussions about:
- The complexity of third-culture identity
- The ongoing impact of historical displacement
- The pressure on minority communities to be “perfect” representatives
- The intersection of family loyalty and personal authenticity
A Fresh Voice in Contemporary Fiction
As a debut novel, What Will People Think? announces Sara Hamdan as a writer to watch. Her background as a journalist and her own multicultural experiences (Palestinian-American, raised in Greece, living in Dubai) inform the narrative with authenticity and nuance that sets it apart from other coming-of-age stories.
The novel joins the ranks of other excellent cultural identity narratives like Etaf Rum’s A Woman Is No Man and Laila Lalami’s The Other Americans, while carving out its own unique space with its blend of humor and historical perspective.
Final Verdict
What Will People Think? succeeds as both entertainment and literature, offering readers genuine laughs alongside moments of profound emotional truth. Despite minor pacing issues and a somewhat convenient resolution, Hamdan has crafted a debut that honors the complexity of contemporary Arab-American experience while telling a universal story about the courage required to live authentically.
What Will People Think? delivers on its promises—humor that doesn’t diminish the story’s emotional weight, cultural specificity that enhances rather than limits its appeal, and characters who feel like real people navigating genuine dilemmas. It’s a remarkable debut that establishes Hamdan as an important new voice in contemporary fiction, and readers will eagerly await her next work.
For fans of Curtis Sittenfeld’s keen social observation or Rainbow Rowell’s blend of humor and heart, What Will People Think? provides a fresh perspective on familiar themes while introducing readers to a compelling new literary voice. This is the kind of novel that will spark book club discussions and linger in readers’ minds long after the final page.
