Reputation

Reputation is a coming-of-age story, set in Trinidad in the early noughties. Asiyah, a young Muslim woman, embarks on a clandestine relationship with the much older Cisco, a single father of two young daughters. She defies her family’s warnings and expectations, re-making her own spiritual compass to be with her lover. But does she know her Cisco as well as she thinks she does? Could her commitment to him become an entanglement she can’t escape?

And when her reputation is threatened by a stranger with a vendetta, will anyone come to her rescue – or will she have to save herself?

Early readers of Reputation say: 

"This is a truly compelling tale with a fresh take on a young Muslim woman’s approach to self-discovery. The characterization is exquisite and composed in a way that the reader can easily become captivated by the rhythms and spirit of Trinidad. The cultural and family dynamic in this engaging novel is so true-to-life that you will not want to put it down. I am eager to review what comes next from Amanda Coreishy, who is a provocative emerging voice in Caribbean fiction."
– D. Adiba author of The Wrong Way to Wright

“It was brave. It didn’t shy away from the religious angle and I like the fact that Asiyah doesn’t play the old victim card. I was fully invested emotionally – loved the interaction between Cisco and Asiyah. A compelling story and a great read.”
– Timothy Teemal, script writer, author

“A fascinating exploration of faith, family and female independence in turn of the century Trinidad. Thought-provoking, insightful and relevant to contemporary debate”
– Clare Kane, author of Dragons in Shallow Waters

“Reputation tells an incredibly touching, yet difficult story of one young woman’s coming of age. The author is not afraid to ask difficult questions about life, love and faith. A very compelling and important read”
– Bayo Awesu, Medium blogger

“A gentle exploration of a coming of age experience. The polarity of a first love and sexual experience juxtaposed with the losing of innocence and the making of a woman who loses her innocence but finds herself, stepping into her power.”
– Naz Khan

“Amanda Coreishy has written a book chock full of lively, witty characters, taking us on a tour of Trinidadian culture and the Islamic faith, while keeping the love story taut. It grapples with the ever-present tension between personal desires and the demands of culture. The public scandal she describes so well presage the troubles of the coming internet age.  Reputation is a tour-de-force and a fascinating debut that leaves us rooting for Asiyah’s quest and projecting our hopes onto it.”
– Nacho Mbaeliachi

"In ‘Woman at Point Zero’, Nawaal El Sadawi’s excoriating masterpiece, the protagonist becomes an avenging dervish. By contrast in ‘Assembly’ by Natasha Brown, the woman at the centre is enmeshed in a society in which surrender becomes analogous with freedom.

In ‘Reputation’, Coreishy presents a surprising alternative, religious devotion as a source of freedom. Not from the male gaze or wider judgement but from shame. Here the question becomes, what if the ‘fallen’ woman rejects the definition.

There’s a freshness to Coreishy’s depiction of the blossoming love affair. A daring originality in her documentation of the openness of a young woman in love for the first time; contrasting explicit passion with the banality of STI tests. Even as the unflinching intimacy and immediacy also threatens at times to become uncomfortably voyeuristic.

When the love affair ends some of the novel’s most interesting ideas arise. Class, crime, failure and frailty are jammed together in a breathless mix. In the midst of which, there’s a striking denouement between father and daughter only an accomplished writer could execute. "
– Gazi