▁teacher , ▁an ▁occupation ▁she ▁shares ▁with ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁of ▁her ▁first ▁novel . ▁ ▁During ▁an ▁interview , ▁her ▁friend , ▁fellow ▁novel ist , ▁Aus ma ▁Ze han at ▁Khan ▁described ▁their ▁writing ▁circle , ▁which ▁she ▁called ▁the ▁Sister hood ▁of ▁the ▁Pen , ▁that ▁include ▁J al al ud din ▁and ▁S . K . ▁Ali . ▁ ▁The ▁tri o ▁of ▁friends ▁offer ▁one ▁another ▁valuable ▁advice , ▁when ▁they ▁read ▁one ▁another ' s ▁early ▁draft s . ▁ ▁J al al ud din ▁described ▁lov ing ▁reading , ▁and ▁always ▁wanting ▁to ▁write , ▁but ▁finding ▁it ▁hard ▁to ▁find ▁nov els ▁about ▁people ▁who ▁looked ▁like ▁her , ▁and ▁dec iding ▁to ▁write ▁one ▁herself . ▁ ▁J al al ud din ▁started ▁the ▁novel ▁while ▁pre gn ant ▁with ▁her ▁son ▁I bra him , ▁sh el ved ▁it , ▁then ▁d usted ▁it ▁off , ▁and ▁finished ▁it , ▁after ▁telling ▁seven - year - old ▁I bra him ▁about ▁it . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁J al al ud din ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁women ▁the ▁Toronto ▁Star ▁interview ed , ▁for ▁their ▁opinions ▁on ▁femin ism ▁and ▁the ▁future . ▁▁ ▁The ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁highly ▁successful ▁film ▁Cra zy ▁Rich ▁A si ans , ▁earlier ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁triggered ▁a ▁greater ▁interest ▁in ▁Hollywood ▁acqu iring ▁other ▁nov els ▁from ▁writers ▁with ▁an ▁Asian ▁background . ▁