Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis

Longlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction, Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis is an intelligent, provocative and surprisingly funny story about two very different women who find friendship in a tough place.

Nadia is an academic reeling from rejection by her conservative mother and a painful breakup. Wanting a fresh start, she accepts a job with the UN in Iraq. Her new role is to rehabilitate ISIS women. She soon finds herself lost in the world of international aid with all its hypocrisy, office politics and well-meaning but clueless colleagues. 

Everything changes when Nadia meets Sara, a quick-witted and outspoken teenager from London who was recruited as an ISIS bride at just 15 years of age. On paper they couldn’t be more different but their connection is built on shared cultural references, irreverent humour and a love of Dairy Milk chocolate! 

What makes Fundamentally special is how real the characters feel - their friendship seems plausible, despite the circumstances that bring them together. Nadia’s own complicated relationship with her Muslim heritage creates a compelling parallel to Sara’s journey, even though their lives have taken very different courses.

Nussaibah’s background in peacebuilding and deradicalisation gives the story authenticity. She exposes the reality of international aid and the struggles and hopes of the people caught up in it. Fundamentally explores why someone might make choices others don’t understand, without judging them. Instead, she shows how complicated faith and family can be, especially for women. 

Nadia and Sara are unforgettable characters whose story will stay with you long after you finish reading. If you’re looking for fiction that entertains while challenging assumptions about some of our era’s most divisive issues, this novel is essential reading!

Nussaibah Younish is a peace-building practitioner and expert on contemporary Iraq. She was born in the United Kingdom to an Iraqi father and a Pakistani mother and currently lives in London. Follow Nussaibah online.

Reviewer: Andrea Molloy

Weidenfeld & Nicholson