Book Club Guide: Yours, Eventually by Nura Maznavi
Check out our Book Club Discussion Guide for Yours, Eventually by Nura Maznavi, including an exclusive author interview!
Yours, Eventually offers readers a heartfelt and witty exploration of love, identity, and second chances, all set within the vibrant and tight-knit world of a Pakistani-American community. Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the novel follows Asma, a young doctor grappling with family expectations, personal ambition, and a romance she thought she’d left behind—only to find herself face-to-face with the one that got away.
What makes this story truly special is how it brings together the timeless charm of Austen's storytelling with the modern lens of South Asian diasporic experiences. It’s a novel that examines cultural traditions, self-discovery, and the universal yearning for connection with a good side of humor and wit.
Discussion Questions for Nura Maznavi’s Yours, Eventually:
“That was the problem: in a community that deemed marriage the ultimate goal for a young woman, what people said actually mattered. Couples were introduced to each other based on status rather than compatibility, and weddings were the marriage of families, not just individuals. Everyone in their community was kept in check by a social code, shackled by the fear of what people would say if they broke it. Everyone, including Asma.”
1. The phrase “Building your own village” has become a popular way to talk about refocusing on creating networks of care and support within fragmented communities. In many ways, South Asian cultures—with their strong emphasis on family and community—already embody aspects of this idea. However, Asma’s story shows how the expectations and strict rules in these communities can also be stifling. Do you think it’s possible to strike a balance between prioritizing the well-being of a community and the needs of individuals?
2. Asma critiques her family’s obsession with status and wealth, portraying it as snobby and restrictive—yet white couples in the United States often marry within their own social class as well. What does this say about how cultural values around wealth and status influence our choices, even when we think they don’t? Do you think this focus on status is a universal human tendency, or is it tied to modern cultures that prioritize wealth and social climbing? How do these attitudes about status shape relationships, and how could they be challenged?
3. Gossip—on one hand, it reinforces the strict social codes that Asma and others are expected to follow, but on the other, it’s also a way to share information and maintain a sense of collective knowledge in tightly knit communities. How do you see the dual role of gossip playing out in the book?
“Rehana had invoked Asma’s dead mother once before to get her to do what she wanted, and it had cost Asma the love of her young life. She wasn’t going to let it happen again.”
4. Asma struggles with the weight of parental expectations, cultural norms, and her own sense of autonomy. The novel raises the question of what children owe their parents—whether it’s fulfilling their dreams, adhering to cultural values, or showing gratitude for their sacrifices. What do you think we owe our parents, both culturally and personally?
“Despite her years in the ER, Asma was still struck each time an elderly patient came in unaccompanied by family. It was one of the times Asma felt most keenly the cultural divide between how she was raised and the reality for many of her patients.”
5. Asma reflects on the cultural values she was raised with, such as the deep responsibility to care for elders, alongside the challenges of those same cultural expectations. Do we have the right to pick and choose which parts of our culture to keep and which to let go of? Have you ever struggled with this in your own cultural or family traditions?
“Men became more desirable as they aged—women, not so much.”
6. How does the novel explore gendered double standards around aging, desirability, and romantic opportunities? Do you think these double standards are changing in society today?
Q&A With Nura Maznavi
What novel made you fall in love with Jane Austen’s writing? Do you have a favorite Austen adaptation?
Nura: My first Jane Austen novel was Pride & Prejudice, which I read in high school. I can’t remember what made me pick the book up in the first place but I suspect it’s because I heard it was romance and that was my jam. The book was a gateway into the world of Jane Austen. I read all her books in college while taking a Jane Austen class and have watched nearly all the tv and movie adaptations of her books. My favorite movie adaptation of her book (and, incidentally, one of my favorite movies all around) is Clueless which was based on Emma. I have all the lines from the movie nearly memorized!
Why did you choose to draw inspiration from Jane Austen’s Persuasion for this novel?
Nura: Persuasion always struck me as the most romantic of Jane Austen’s novels – a second chance at love for someone who everyone has written off as an old spinster. But, more than that, the circumstances of Anne Elliott’s relationship with Frederick Wentworth – and her family and community’s involvement – really resonated with me. I grew up in a predominantly South Asian and Arab American Muslim community in Southern California where family and community were very much involved in the search for a partner.
What was the most challenging scene to write in Yours, Eventually?
Nura: The scenes between Asma and Farooq in the present day were challenging to write! When you’re bringing characters back together who we understand have spent years pining for each other, it’s hard to take things slowly. All I wanted them to say was, I love you and I’m so sorry! But, alas, in romance it’s all about miscommunication and what people don’t say –you have to keep up that slow burn.
Do you have a favorite Indie bookstore?
Nura: The Seminary Co-op (and its sister store, 57 th St Books) in Hyde Park, Chicago! It was my neighborhood bookstore when I moved to Chicago after my wedding and they were always so gracious. They hosted me at 57 th Street Books for a Love, InshAllah book reading shortly after I moved and, a few years later, hosted a reading for my second book, Salaam, Love. I used to visit both bookstores frequently, especially when my children were young and I needed to get them out of the house on those freezing cold Chicago winter days. And the first draft of my novel was written at the Plein Air Café, the coffee shop next door!
Dig Deeper: Unique Activity Ideas
And of course, as event planners we wanted to share a few ideas about how to engage with the book! If you are the kind of person who wants to talk about what you read, here are some ways to engage creatively with Yours, Eventually:
Host a Jane Austen x South Asian Fusion Tea Party, like the Collier County Public Library did for a Bridgerton-themed high tea: Guests can dress in Regency-style attire with a South Asian twist (think Kate Sharma from Bridgerton), put together a fusion afternoon tea (think curry tea sandwiches and masala chai), and discuss Austen and Austen-inspired works (like Yours, Eventually).
Gather all the pink, red, and white craft supplies you can and host a Valentines Day Handmade Card-Making Activity! Invite participants to write their own heartfelt letter to a loved one, or even send letters to seniors at a residential home like this program at Sonoma County Library. Inspired by the themes of Asma’s “what-ifs” use this as an opportunity to tell the people in your life that you love them.
Pakistani-American Community Spotlight: Celebrate Pakistani culture by hosting a Pakistani film night and bringing food & treats from a Pakistani cookbook.
Host a Jane Austen inspired writing contest: Encourage writers to put their own twist on a classic, Austen-inspired story. Prize Idea: Have Nura (or other local author) pick their favorite story. Perhaps the winner could also receive a signed copy of the author’s book!
This year marks the 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen! In honor of Austen’s birthday on December 16th, host a birthday celebration or symposium to celebrate her lasting legacy.