We are excited to share an excerpt from My Perfect Family by Khadijah VanBrakle today. When I first had the opportunity to read the excerpt more than a month ago, it was difficult to wait for the rest of the book and I am really happy to finally have a copy of the book now. I’ve only had the chance to read a few chapters so far, but was immediately invested in the characters. The book will be released on August 26th so it won’t be a lengthy wait for others.
The press release describes the book this way: Warm, witty, and sometimes serious, My Perfect Family is a poignant intergenerational narrative that gives voice to Black Muslim women. A thoughtful examination of the intersection between gender and religion, Khadijah’s sophomore novel is a heartfelt tale of forging one’s own path… while loving those who stay by your side.
My Perfect Family follows sixteen-year-old Leena who has always wished for a big family, but when she discovers she has a Muslim grandfather and aunt she never knew, she learns that family comes with tangled histories she may not be able to heal.
Excerpt from My Perfect Family by Khadijah VanBrakle. Copyright © 2025 by Lee VanBrakle. Reproduced with permission from Holiday House Publishing, Inc. All rights
reserved.
I pace around the living room, picking up stray pieces of lint while I wait. After grabbing a mini
water bottle off the counter, my mom joins me.
“Ready, Leena?” She’s wearing a knee-length denim dress, and her dark auburn hair is slicked
back into a tight bun.
Dazed, I follow her out the door and into the ten-year-old Subaru parked in our driveway. My
heart’s thumping in my chest. I click the seat belt around me and sneak a glance at my mom.
She still won’t meet my eyes.
“I got a phone call from Samira, my father’s sister. He had a heart attack and was rushed to
Presbyterian in Rio Rancho.”
Blinking back confusion, I stare at the woman who gave birth to me.
WHO?
She’s checking all her blind spots, even glancing up at the rearview mirror—except she never
looks at me. We back out of the driveway and speed down Comanche Road. I hear only a dull
ringing in my ears.
“W-why?” Numbness spreads across my body but I get one word out.
We merge onto I-25 before my mom answers me.
“I don’t understand your question, Leena.” Her fingers have the steering wheel in a vise grip.
My forehead throbs. A developing migraine. I push past the pain.
“I have a grandfather and great-aunt? In this town? That I’ve never met? You told me—you said my dad died when you were pregnant with me. Was that a lie?” Anger shakes my hands. “You told me you didn’t have family. You came up with our motto No secrets, no lies, but you’ve been keeping this from me?”
We pass each mile marker in total silence.
It isn’t until we merge onto the Paseo exit that she answers.
“I’m…I’m sorry. My childhood wasn’t a happy one. I ran away from home at sixteen. It’s been
more than a decade since we’ve seen each other.”
Water clouds my vision. All I can hear is the rush of cars racing by us in the left lane.
“WHY? Why did you keep them a secret?” Nothing she says will make a difference, but I’m
owed an explanation. “Whatever happened, I still had a right to know. How did your aunt find
you?”
Mom’s voice is stiff. “Samira saw one of my daycare flyers at the food co-op in Nob Hill. They
don’t really live in town, Leena. They live in Santa Fe. To be honest, I never thought I’d ever see them again.”
We make a quick right into the hospital parking lot, and she pulls into the first empty space.
“Leena, you’re right, okay. I should’ve told you a long time ago. But right now, we need to get
inside. My father is very, very ill.”
My childhood dream of a big family fades like the setting sun. I had one, but I didn’t know about it, and now it’s losing a piece.
“Your dad passed away a few months before you were born. That is the truth. I decided to bring you up alone. Now…can we postpone the verbal flogging for later?”
With my stomach churning, and my heart bruised, I follow my mom through the emergency
room doors. The strong smell of cleaner wrinkles my nose. I plop down into the closest chair
and stare at a silver gum wrapper on the floor. She leaves the registration window and takes the chair to my right.
Silence is the only thing we share.
Khadijah is a proud New Mexican, mother of five, and Black Muslim woman. In 2021, she was selected for the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Fellowship. Born and raised in Canada to American parents, she now lives in Albuquerque with her family.
Visit Khadijah online at khadijahvanbrakle.com, on X (formerly known as Twitter) @LVanBrakle, and on Instagram @khadijahvanbrakle.