Zara Raheem Books in Order

Whether you are an admirer of Zara Raheem’s writing or an individual embarking on an exploration of his literary works. This guide will take you on a literary journey through a complete breakdown of Zara Raheem books in order.

About Zara Raheem

Zara Raheem is an author who writes contemporary romance and general fiction. She is best known for her first book, The Marriage Clock.

Zara studied creative writing at California State University in Long Beach, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree. In 2019, she was included in the Harriet Williams Emerging Writers list and won the James I. Murashige Jr. Memorial Award. Her debut novel was recognized as a must-read of the summer by Book Riot, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, and POPSUGAR. It has also been translated into Portuguese and Italian.

In 2023, Zara released her second book, The Retreat, which became just as popular as her first. She currently lives in Southern California, where she teaches creative writing and English.

When Zara was in second grade, she became fascinated with the book Harriet the Spy. She loved Harriet’s character and the exciting world of a young detective. This inspired Zara to carry a notebook and write down ideas, even though she lived in a small town where not much happened. Over time, she continued writing short stories, poems, journals, and novels. Though it was hard for her to become an author, she persisted despite the lack of South Asian American writers, which made her doubt her own writing abilities. Eventually, she earned her MFA and signed a book deal, which gave her the confidence to pursue writing.

Zara came up with the idea for The Marriage Clock while going through the arranged marriage process herself. She felt that while arranged marriages were often shown in movies and TV shows, there weren’t many stories from the perspective of South Asian women. She wanted to write a book that explored the pressures South Asian women face when it comes to marriage and children.

In her book, Zara writes about strong women who challenge cultural and societal expectations. She enjoys telling stories about issues not often discussed in South Asian communities.

The Marriage Clock tells the story of Leila Abid, a young Muslim American woman who has three months to find a husband before her Indian parents arrange one for her. Leila believes in finding true love before marriage, but as she faces pressure from her family, she begins to question her dreams of a Bollywood romance. As the deadline nears, she struggles to meet her parents’ expectations.

In The Retreat, Zara introduces Nadia Abbasi, who is trying to save her marriage after discovering that her husband might be having an affair. While cleaning his office, Nadia finds clues that lead her to believe Aman, the man she married, is hiding something. She teams up with her estranged sister to figure out what went wrong in her marriage. Nadia’s search for answers takes her to unexpected places, where she learns surprising truths about love and herself.