Book Review: ‘Fundamentally’ by Nussaibah Younis

Book Title: Fundamentally
Author: Nussaibah Younis
Publisher: W&N
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 978-9360459727
Date Published: Feb. 25, 2025
Price: INR 454

Book Review

Nussaibah Younis’s debut novel, “Fundamentally“, is a daring and darkly comic exploration of some of the most fraught issues in contemporary global politics: radicalization, humanitarian intervention, and the messy realities of international aid work. The story follows Dr. Nadia Amin, a London-based academic reeling from heartbreak, who the UN unexpectedly recruits to lead a program aimed at rehabilitating women who traveled to Iraq in support of ISIS. Younis, herself an expert on Iraq and deradicalization, draws on her lived experience to create a setting that is as authentic as it is absurd, using satire to cut through the bureaucratic jargon and moral grandstanding that often surround such efforts.

The novel’s greatest strength lies in its willingness to confront uncomfortable questions with biting wit and irreverence. Younis’s prose is peppered with sharp one-liners and a comic sensibility that, at its best, makes the heavy subject matter accessible without trivializing it. Nadia’s journey is both funny and heartbreaking, with her personal struggles—her failed relationship, her complicated ties to her mother, her own break from Islam—mirroring the broader ethical quagmires she faces in Iraq. The supporting cast, from eccentric UN colleagues to the enigmatic Sara (a teenage “ISIS bride” Nadia becomes fixated on), provides both comic relief and poignant counterpoints to Nadia’s idealism.

Yet, for all its ambition, “Fundamentally” is not without its flaws. Several critics have noted that the humour can feel strained or forced, sometimes detracting from the novel’s emotional impact and slowing its momentum with irrelevant details. While Younis raises vital questions about punishment, belief, and the possibility of real change—“What’s the appropriate punishment for ISIS brides who didn’t commit any violent crimes? Can we detain people just because of their beliefs?”—the narrative often repeats these questions without fully engaging with their complexity. The focus on Nadia and Sara’s dynamic, while compelling, comes at the expense of broader perspectives from the camp’s other women, limiting the novel’s scope where it could have been most illuminating.

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Despite these shortcomings, “Fundamentally” stands out for its originality, audacity, and unflinching honesty. Younis’s decision to approach such a contentious topic through satire is both risky and refreshing, offering readers a window into the contradictions and compromises that define humanitarian work in conflict zones. While the book may not satisfy those seeking a straightforward or deeply nuanced exploration of radicalization, it succeeds as a provocative, sharply observed, and at times wickedly funny meditation on the search for meaning and belonging in a broken world.

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