What Will People Think? Audiobook By Sara Hamdan cover art

What Will People Think?

A Novel

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What Will People Think?

By: Sara Hamdan
Narrated by: Reem Edan
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Mia’s secret comedy career, forbidden office crush, and a long-guarded family secret take center stage, threatening her newfound confidence and her one shot at fame in this hilarious, heartfelt coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld and Etaf Rum.

Mia Almas has a secret. By day, she works at a respectable job as a media fact checker—a position her conservative, Arab grandparents approve of—and, by night, she takes to the stages of New York City comedy clubs. She holds herself back in a lot of ways, especially in the romance department, but being on stage lights her up and makes being a wallflower the rest of the time more bearable. That is, until Phaedra, her stylish and bold new neighbor, inspires Mia to take a few risks.

As Mia pursues a forbidden romance with her boss, her standup gets better and bolder, leading to a surprise spotlight that exposes her secret gig. Horrified and worried that her rebellious act could mean big consequences for her reserved Palestinian-American family, Mia frantically dives into damage control. But all of her efforts to pull back from the spotlight expose a family scandal from the 1940s that could change everything…

Equal parts funny and tender, What Will People Think? is a heart-bursting exploration of what it means to discover and embrace the hidden parts of yourself, and how love in all forms can make you whole.

This program is read by comedian, writer, and actor Reem Edan.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

©2025 Sara Hamdan (P)2025 Macmillan Audio Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction World Literature Funny Heartfelt Witty New York

Critic reviews

"Hamdan balances levity with poignancy through a series of revelations, such as the reason behind Mia’s father’s death on 9/11, why her grandparents left Palestine, and why they remain so cautious. This will linger in readers’ minds."—Publishers Weekly

“Beautifully written. . . . Hamdan's compelling debut will provoke thoughtful discussion and is recommended for readers who enjoyed James McBride's The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store or Etaf Rum's Evil Eye.”—Library Journal (starred)

“A richly drawn story of individuality, identity, and honoring your heritage, What Will People Think? will resonate with readers of romances and coming-of-age novels.”—Booklist
All stars
Most relevant
Given what we are going through right now with immigrants and our atrocious situation with ICE this book is a must listen. I also enjoyed the stand up comedy since I am fan of that.

Pitch perfect for NOW

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With the help of her stage name, Mia Almas is living a second, secret, life. One she does her best to hide from her family, co-workers and friends. That’s right, Mia the office wallflower is secretly Mia, the stand up comedian in NYC clubs after the sun goes down. She knows that her conservative Arab family would not approve of her night club comedy act so she works hard to keep it hidden. Nor would they approve of her office-based love interest.

Her mother died in childbirth and her father was killed while helping rescue people from the twin towers after the terriorist attacks. She is being raised by her conservative Arab grandparents, both of whom refuse to tell her anything about themselves or her family history. When out-of-the-blue an old family scandal from the 1940s comes out into the open Mia's family life gets weirder than she could have imagined.

A coming-of-age story on trusting yourself, mixed with the struggles of an illegal immigrant family and a family with secrets. This was an okay read for me (2.5 stars rounded up to 3). I was more than a little annoyed by all of the asides of fantasies/dreams/wishes that go on in Mia’s head, they really distract from the story line. They also made her seem very immature. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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An ok read, not great

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Very very cute heartwarming story, love the anecdotes from 1947 Palestine and description of the way of life there & the impacts of the war. I couldn’t stop listening, I finished it in two days. I absolutely love this book and can’t wait to see if there is more from this author.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

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