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Hi! I'm Umme Pritam, author of Eiliyah- my debut novel. I wrote this story when I was going through a really difficult time in my life. My mom died and I picked up the pen and channel my inner Eiliyah through writing. Ellie, the main character of my novel, resembles my mother the most. She was as strong, brave, and smart as her.
Currently, I'm working on two projects. One is contemporary fiction and another is a secret project.
I live in Dhaka, Bangladesh with my husband.
Reviewed by Stephanie Chapman for Readers' Favorite
In Eiliyah, Umme Pritam describes Ellie’s life experience when moving into her father’s home after her mother died. In this book, Ellie recounts her childhood memories to her daughter Sarah. While still young, Ellie had become friends with a boy from the neighboring orphanage. Hussain and Ellie became steadfast friends and spent many nights stargazing. When she had to move away, Ellie helped Hussain escape the abuse he encountered at the orphanage. As a young adult, Ellie’s memories of her father brought back nightmares from her past. Her neighbor Raiyan happened to work at a bookstore. With the support of Areeba and Ishita, Ellie speaks to Raiyan about her hopes and aspirations. However, Raiyan has a secret about his past that he intends to keep hidden.
Umme Pritam creates clear transitions between Ellie speaking to her daughter and her thoughts. In recalling her young adult years, the story is written as though it is happening in the present. The periods noted in the book make the timeline easy to follow. The building tension is felt by Sarah and was relatable. The anger that Ellie had towards her Baba, the name she uses for her father, spills out in a way similar to what I have experienced toward my family members. The end of the book was shocking and I never expected what was finally revealed. I don’t know how I would have handled what Ellie lived through. There were no loose ends in the story and I liked the way Sarah figured out whether her mother ever found Hussain. I would recommend Eiliyah to readers who enjoy a slow-burn romance filled with relatable dialogue and drama.
