MOCA Book Club is delighted to announce our next reading selection: Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman—a lyrical, powerful novel that traces a young woman’s coming-of-age as she navigates identity, desire, faith, and self-determination.

Set within a vibrant Pakistani American community, Rehman’s novel explores what it means to grow, resist, and imagine freedom on one’s own terms. Told in poetic prose, the story moves between tenderness and defiance, offering an intimate portrait of belonging, transformation, and selfhood.

Razia Mirza grows up amid the wild grape vines and backyard sunflowers of Corona, Queens, with her best friend, Saima, by her side. When a family rift drives the girls apart, Razia’s heart is broken. She finds solace in Taslima, a new girl in her close-knit Pakistani-American community. They embark on a series of small rebellions: listening to scandalous music, wearing miniskirts, and cutting school to explore the city.

When Razia is accepted to Stuyvesant, a prestigious high school in Manhattan, the gulf between the person she is and the daughter her parents want her to be, widens. At Stuyvesant, Razia meets Angela and is attracted to her in a way that blossoms into a new understanding. When their relationship is discovered by an Aunty in the community, Razia must choose between her family and her own future.

Punctuated by both joy and loss, full of ’80s music and beloved novels, Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is a new classic: a fiercely compassionate coming-of-age story of a girl struggling to reconcile her heritage and faith with her desire to be true to herself.

This selection pairs beautifully with Hiba Schahbaz: The Garden, on view at MOCA. Like Schahbaz’s work, Rehman’s novel centers femme subjectivity, interior life, and the act of reclaiming space—emotionally, culturally, and physically. Both invite us into richly imagined worlds shaped by memory, mythology, care, and resilience.

Join the Conversation

MOCA Book Club gathers in person to discuss literature inspired by our exhibitions, creating space for thoughtful dialogue and shared discovery. Books are available first come first serve at MOCA for guests who RSVP. You may also obtain your own copy at a 20% discount through our partners at Books & Books using the code: MOCABC24.

You may also check out your local library. The North Miami Public Library has the novel available as an audiobook on Hoopla; it is an instant borrow (which means multiple patrons can borrow and use it at the same time). Readers must have a library card in order to read for free—and come ready to reflect, listen, and engage.

Whether you’re a longtime reader or new to the club, we invite you to read along with us and be part of the conversation.

‍