Fundamentally: Book Club Discussion Questions
Updated: Sep 3
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis is a sharp, moving, and thought-provoking novel that explores faith, identity, family, love, belonging, and the contradictions of modern life. With humour, heart, and plenty of emotional depth, the novel asks difficult questions about what we believe, who we become, and what it means to find your place in the world.
The novel follows Nadia, a young British Muslim woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when she travels to Iraq and finds herself caught up in a complicated situation involving faith, relationships, family expectations, and her own sense of identity. As Nadia navigates the pressures surrounding her, the novel balances wit and vulnerability while exploring the tensions between personal freedom, cultural expectations, religion, and love.
The Fundamentally book club discussion questions below were created by our Chapter 25 team of dedicated readers. These prompts are designed to spark conversation about faith, identity, culture, family, relationships, belonging, expectations, and the choices we make when different parts of our lives pull us in different directions.
Book Club Discussion Questions:
What were your first impressions of the book? Was it what you were expecting?
Fundamentally has been described as the “Muslim Fleabag” or “Bridget Jones at the UN”. Do you agree with those descriptions? What other characters or books could Fundamentally be compared to?
Younis lived and worked in Iraq and created a programme to deradicalise ISIS brides. Do you think her experience was evident in the book?
Younis chose to write about a serious topic but with humour. Why do you think she did this? Did she get the balance right? How did you feel about Nadia as a character?
Did Rosy and Nadia have the same view of their relationship? Why were they together?
How would you describe the relationship between Sara and Nadia? How did it change as they got to know each other?
What did you think of the UN as a workplace and the compound as a place to live? Would you work and live there?
Did the other characters in the story feel real or did they feel more like caricatures or stereotypes? Why was this?
Nadia feels she is to blame for Sara losing her citizenship because she spoke to the journalist at the Tiki Bar, which drew a lot of attention to Sara. Nadia also thinks she is to blame for Sara marrying the elderly leader. Is it all Nadia’s fault?
Nadia’s actions to try to help Sara become increasingly risky. How did you feel as Nadia became more and more obsessed with helping Sara regardless of the cost?
A theme throughout the novel was about moving away or towards religion. How did different characters experience this? Why were their experiences different?
There were several settings in the book (e.g. the UN compound, the camp). How well did Younis paint a picture of these different places?
Both Nadia and Sara are quite disconnected from their families for most of the book. What impact does this have on them? Does this change towards the end of the novel, after Nadia’s mum has spoken to Sara’s parents?
At the end of the novel, Sara loses her citizenship and Nadia returns to her academic job. Why does this happen? Is it fair?
Sara’s story was broadly similar to that of Shamima Begum (a 15-year-old British Muslim girl who left East London to travel to Syria and join ISIS in 2015). Did this book reinforce or challenge your view of Shamima’s case?
Do you think the book challenged stereotypes about British Muslims or Islam?
Fundamentally is currently being turned into a TV series. Which actors should play the main characters?
Fundamentally is a satirical book (the use of humour and/or exaggeration to mock and criticise something or someone that is stupid or flawed). What is Younis being critical of? What point(s) is she trying to make?
What do you think Nadia would be doing now in 2026?
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