Love from a to Z

Love from A to Z Top Ten Countdown
10. “I Will Survive”
Dedicated to the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council
for giving me grants so I could take a leave from work and still pay my bills
and survive while finishing this book.
9. “Wild World”
Dedicated to the awesome people I’ve met in the YA writing world,
especially the following authors who gave me the gift of their hand to hold,
mentorship, and check-ins: Kate Hart, Emery Lord, Akemi Dawn Bowman,
Rachel Hartman, Kiersten White, Jael Richardson, Cherie Dimaline,
Sandhya Menon, Karen M. McManus, E. K. Johnston, and S. F. Henson.
8. “Leaves from the Vine (Little Soldier Boy)”
Dedicated to my Muslim squad of writers, we who come from the same
vine, whose woven web of support I cherish so very much. Time to admit
that during the hard periods of writing this book, I’d sometimes re-read the
wonderful things you said about Saints and Misfits in order to believe that I
could actually write. There are so many of you, but I want to especially
mention these friends who made my debut year so special with their
expressions of love: thank you, Hanna Alkaf, Rukhsana Khan, Shannon
Chakraborty, Ardo Omer, Nafiza Azad, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow,
Fartumo Kusow, Asmaa Hussein, Hajera Khaja, London Shah, Nadine
Courtney Jolie, Fatin Marini, Melati Lum, Umm Juwayriyah, Sabina Khan,
G. Willow Wilson, Sabaa Tahir, Hind Makki, Maleeha Siddiqui, Na’ima B.
Robert, Nevien Shaabneh, Hafsah Faizal, Saadia Faruqi, Karuna Riazi, and
Alexis York Lumbard.

---

7. “Aap Jaisa Koi”
Dedicated to two new friends who walked into my life recently and who
became so very dear to me: Aisha Saeed and Safiyyah Kathimi. Aisha, your
kind texts and our phone chats always provided the bolts of clarity I needed
to hear, and Safiyyah, our train of funny e-mails, messages, and late-night
calls kept me going while I wrote Love from A to Z. You’re both cherished.
6. “Seasons in the Sun”
Dedicated to old friends who’ve been with me through the winters and
summers of life over the years, even when I’ve gone silent for long periods
as I hid in the writing cave. Thank you for consistently cheering me on
through this lifelong journey of mine with true friendship, Shaiza, Zakiya,
Rania, Amie, Farzana, and Nhu. Thank you, Naseem, for re-entering my
life—growing up as kids, you and I shared our mutual love of books, and
now we get to share our mutual love of writing.
5. “I Like It”
Dedicated to those who brought this book to actual life, or supported my
author career from the very beginning of my experience working with
Simon & Schuster. Mekisha Telfer, Brian Luster, Jenica Nasworthy, Alexa
Pastor, Lucy Ruth Cummins, Lisa Moraleda, Justin Chanda, the entire S&S
library team, and, up here in Canada, Rita Silva, Michelle Skelsey, and
Felicia Quon: I like it that you are all amazing!
4. “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”
Dedicated to my literary agent, John Cusick, and my editor, Zareen
Jaffery, because both of you get my words so very much—and so instantly.
You understand that I write the rain and the sunny days into my stories. I
am beyond grateful that I get to work with you both. John, you are the same
incredibly supportive agent I signed with three years ago, and, Zareen, if
someone had told me to dream up my perfect editor when I was starting out
as a writer, you would have been it—and my dream came true,
alhamdulillah.
3. “Let It Go”
Dedicated to my writing soul-sisters, Uzma Jalaluddin and Ausma
Zehanat Khan. I love that I can let go of all my writer vulnerabilities and
just be free with you both. I love that we talk about everything and
anything, writing or not. Thanks, Uzma, for our daily chats, for reading just
about everything I write, for being brilliant and compassionate you. Thanks,
Ausma, for being the star of a recurring thought of mine, WWAD: What

---

would Ausma do?, and then answering this question for me with big-sister
love and wisdom, all the way from the mountains of Colorado.
2. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”
Dedicated to my army of a family, who shows up for me always, ready to
take up the entire front row if need be, with phones out to capture the
moment, with encouraging smiles and claps at the ready. I feel your love—
all of your love so very much. Thank you, Faisal, Shakil, Anwaar, Johanne,
Sakeina, Sahar, Amanda, Sana, Muhammad, Dawood, Bushra, Alain,
Khalil, Khalid, Zenyah, Chiku, Saira, Aasiyah, and Maleeha.
1. “Stand by Me”
Dedicated to my parents, Ahmed and Zuhra (the kindest people on earth);
my children, Hamza, Bilqis, and Jochua (a trio who inspires me); my sister,
Hajara (a dynamo in all ways); and my husband, Jez (my rock). You all
embody virtues I aspire to, and I want to stand by and with you always.
Thanks for shaping this book and my life.

---