Any Way You Look

At the end of 6th grade, Ain't hopes that she can spend the summer helping out at her mother's dress shop, Naseerah's Almari (closet). She would love to design clothing and maybe even work on sewing, but instead gets stuck with helping customers and dealing with paperwork. When she finds out that her older sister, Bajjo, is going to work at a coffee shop to earn more money, she understands why her family needs to help out in this way, even if she doesn't enjoy it. Her father is in Pakistan caring for his mother, who has cancer, and Ainy and her family are living in the basement of family friends because they could no longer afford their apartment. Her younger brother, Kashif, is cared for by the mother of the house, who is very kind and helps out in many ways, but Ainy is struggling with her crush on Izyaan, the son of the family. When Gabina Auntie, who is well regarded in the community but rather mean, comes to the shop asking for a special rush order, Ainy's mother agrees to it because it will mean a lot of money, and even says that Ainy can work on the design. The downside of this is that Gabina Auntie's son, Yasir, has been giving unwanted attention to Ainy, and she's not sure how to make him stop. Her friend Safiya is struggling with all of the attention that is being giving to her infant sister, and is angry that Ainy has to spend so much time working, and feels ignored. After an incident at an amusement park outing where Yasir and other boys make not only unwanted remarks, but put their hands on Ainy, she is horrified, especially when SHE is the one who gets in trouble for inappropriate actions. She feels she can't go to Safiyah, her mother (who is busy and tired), or Bajjo (who has stopped wearing her hijab and seems distant), and tries to deal with the matter herself. With Safiya's help, she starts to wear the hijab so that she can hide under it, but knows deep down that wearing one should be an act of faith and not of escape. Eventually, she tells her friends and family what has gone on, and gets a lot of support from her mother, who tells her that it is entirely up to her and her own faith journey to decide what she wants to wear, and that no matter how women dress, they should always be respected. A short glossary at the end helps with some terms.