There are some novels that tell a great tale and others that open your eyes and make you change the way you look at the world. Rosmini Shaari’s The Wife does both. Ostensibly a tragic and powerful love story full of heartbreak and lust, it is also a book about the role of Muslim women in modern society and how sexism, feminism and identity are dealt with within the culture on a daily basis.   The-Wife_front_smThe Wife is packed with high tension, drama and emotion making it a perfect summer read for women of all ages. Importantly, it draws heavily on Shaari’s own experiences as a modern, educated Muslim woman. This not only gives the book an authentic feel but adds weight to the complex issues within it, helping it to resonate with women across the globe. Set in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, The Wife tells the tale of three professional women who have to reconcile the contradictions of modernity with the traditional Islamic conceptions of a woman's role. First there is Sofia, a stoic and pragmatic woman with modern sensibilities, who is trapped playing the role of the traditional Muslim wife to her womanizing husband Halim. Shaari demonstrates to readers what a brilliant writer she is when, in the first scene, Sofia confronts her husband’s young mistress, Nora, challenging her to know whether her husband truly loves her or not. Her warning to Nora that she herself might one day be easily replaced is something that haunts Nora throughout the book. Sofia meanwhile needs to ask herself this – can she recapture her husband's affections? And does she even want to? Matters are complicated further when the beautiful Wati arrives on the scene. How will all three women cope with their rivalries and desires? And who will take the prize in the end? Although first and foremost a terrific read, The Wife's take on female emancipation within Islamic cultures will be a hugely attractive – and controversial - subject matter to women across the globe. Rarely, if ever, has there been a novel by a Muslim woman that talks so openly about sexuality, heartbreak, love or lust. Beautifully translated, it is a slice of literary fiction that goes beyond the scope of a usual novel and transforms the way people see and think about the world. What Khaled Hosseini has done for Afghanistan, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has done for Nigeria, so Rosmini Shaari has now done for Malaysia. This is Shaari’s forth novel and follows the critical success of The Promise, Silk Scarf, and Dust. This is undoubtedly Shaari’s best and most memorable book and will not disappoint.