Fundamentally cover art

Fundamentally

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Fundamentally

By: Nussaibah Younis
Narrated by: Sarah Slimani
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

 SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

'A NEW NAME TO WATCH OUT FOR' THE TIMES
'THE DEBUT OF THE YEAR' STYLIST
'ELECTRIC' GUARDIAN

A wildly funny and razor-sharp exploration of love, family, religion and the decisions we make in pursuit of belonging.
'By normal, you mean like you? A slag with a saviour complex?'

Nadia is an academic who's been disowned by her puritanical mother and dumped by her lover, Rosy. She decides to make a getaway, accepting a UN job in Iraq. Tasked with rehabilitating ISIS women, Nadia becomes mired in the opaque world of international aid, surrounded by bumbling colleagues.

Sara is a precocious and sweary East Londoner who joined ISIS at just fifteen.

Nadia is struck by how similar they are: both feisty and opinionated, from a Muslim background, with a shared love of Dairy Milk and rude pick-up lines. A powerful friendship forms between the two women, until a secret confession from Sara threatens everything Nadia has been working for.

'Funny, gripping and compassionate' DOLLY ALDERTON
'Not only hysterically funny but trenchant and necessary. I loved it' INDIA KNIGHT
'A raunchy, irreverent, touching and daring debut' PARINI SHROFF
'Essential reading' JONATHAN COE
'A breath of fresh air' MARIAN KEYES
'Original, funny and fearless' NINA STIBBE©2025 Nussaibah Younis (P)2025 Orion Publishing Group Limited Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Political Satire Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Funny Middle East Iran
All stars
Most relevant  
Really strong plot, with beautiful writing and a window into a world much misunderstood. A worthy read.

A really fascinating insight

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Clearly narrated, witty and brilliantly written, I didn't expect to enjoy Fundamentally as much as I have.

Superb storytelling with a hint of reality

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What a breath of fresh air! Funny, witty, impeccably observed and beautifully written. Favourite book of the year!

LOVED it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Really great story and fascinating take on things I’d only seen in the news. Good characters that depict intersectionality and complex situations well.

Surprising and spot on

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well well well. This is quite the debut. This author looks at a very serious topic but intertwines humour excellent. I wouldn’t say either of one of main characters are the most likeable but Nadia is good at heart just very misguided.

Talk about bureaucracy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Wanted to read something different and this really delivered. Don’t be put off by the subject matter, it’s a brilliant book

Hugely entertaining and moving

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Funny, thought-provoking, hopeful and wonderfully read by Sarah Slimani - except perhaps the South African accent.

Engaging story, wonderfully narrated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An incredible novel that is both humorous and incredibly heart wrenching. Absolutely loved it! I found some of the accents the narrator did a bit off but otherwise it was really good.

LOVED IT!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I like the narrator, the pace and turn of phrase. Good realistic plot and mainly believable characters. But to me it is a serious book and I don’t agree with some of the media reviews. A good debut

Interesting and educational but I didn’t get the humour as it was too sad

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An enjoyable story with well drawn, complex characters. The narrator was incredible - she really bought the characters to life.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews