Dear Waheed

Dear Waheed: A mother's legacy of love and wisdom in thirty unforgettable letters is a poignant collection of letters written by a mother to her son over the course of thirty days against the backdrop of Ramadan during the pandemic lockdown. The author found herself vulnerable and alone; her son in one city, and she in another. During her solitude, she embraced the opportunity to delve deep into her spirit and found that, as she wrote, a new pathway to healing appeared. The period was a pivotal experience for Farhana Yunnus, as it was for many. A transformative journey to reflect, heal, and restore. She discovered that her letters were bridging the gap between hearts and cities, silence and uncertainty, and the past and present. Yunnus takes the reader on a compassionate journey of self-discovery and renewal and does so without denying the nature of our flawed and fragile humanity. The author establishes an authentic connection with the reader and draws from her own faith and beliefs as she shares her wisdom. Through her poetic and reflective prose, Yunnus navigates the trials of emotional and spiritual growth during a time when connection and comfort were hard to find. She compassionately explores themes such as faith, mental health, resilience, individuality, family, love, and the powerful bond between a mother and child. Dear Waheed is a legacy of love, a place of solace, the inheritance of continued hope and profound insight, and age-old wisdom. It is a gift and a lifeline to all who need the subtle guidance of a wise and gentle mentor.

Farhana Yunnus is a South African writer, artist, and educator whose work explores the intersections of motherhood, spirituality, and resilience. She holds qualifications from universities in Durban and Cape Town and has worked in education and the arts. Her writing often draws from lived experience, weaving together personal reflection with broader themes of faith, identity, and healing. Dear Waheed is her first book published by Penguin Random House. Through her writing and art, she continues to explore the power of words and creativity as tools for healing, legacy, and connection. She currently resides in Cape Town.