Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis Summary, Characters and Themes

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis is a bold, emotionally intelligent debut novel that explores extremism, identity, and redemption through the eyes of Nadia, a British-Iraqi academic sent to Iraq to create a deradicalization program for ISIS-affiliated women.

As Nadia confronts trauma—both her own and others’—she must navigate bureaucratic obstruction, dangerous terrain, and the fragile line between victim and perpetrator. With sharp wit and sobering clarity, Younis crafts a story about the limits of ideology, the weight of grief, and the moral ambiguity of intervention.

Summary

The novel opens with Nadia, the protagonist, navigating the treacherous Zagros Mountains under cover of darkness.

She’s helping smuggle Sara, a British woman and former ISIS bride, out of ISIS-held territory.

The tension is palpable, yet Nadia’s wry humor—especially about lugging a designer handbag—reveals her layered personality.

This dangerous journey frames the novel, which then rewinds to show how these two women reached this moment.

Five months earlier, Nadia arrives in Baghdad to take up a new role with the United Nations, designing a rehabilitation program for women formerly affiliated with ISIS.

She’s ambitious, cerebral, and emotionally raw after a breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Rosy.

On arrival, Baghdad surprises her—it’s far more vibrant than the post-apocalyptic version she had imagined.

But inside the UN compound, she finds a different kind of war: one of bureaucracy, resentment, and isolation.

Her team includes Tom, a security officer who’s kind but emotionally overbearing.

There’s also Sherri, a rigid Australian psychologist, and Pierre, a bitter colleague undermining her at every step.

Nadia’s boss, Lina, is distant and uninterested, giving her only one directive: make the program work—fast.

Nadia feels out of her depth, battling imposter syndrome and personal grief.

At a refugee camp in Ninewah, Nadia meets Sara—a sharp, confrontational British woman who joined ISIS in her youth.

Sara resists the deradicalization efforts, mocking the program and Nadia’s academic detachment.

Yet Nadia is intrigued.

Sara isn’t just a subject—she’s a mirror reflecting Nadia’s own contradictions.

Both are British, Arab, and women negotiating cultural fault lines.

A tentative, prickly bond begins to form.

As Nadia pushes forward, the project stalls.

Media criticism, lack of institutional support, and internal sabotage threaten its existence.

Meanwhile, Sara begins to open up, revealing glimpses of the trauma—alienation in London, betrayal, the death of a child—that pushed her toward extremism.

Nadia’s theoretical framework starts to shift.

She begins to realize that trauma, not ideology, is often at the root of radicalization.

Tom’s possessiveness escalates, and after a disturbing confrontation, Nadia ends their relationship.

She continues to grow closer to Sara, especially after a powerful group therapy session where the women use art to process their pain.

Sara’s drawing of a burning bridge becomes symbolic of her journey away from extremism.

The political stakes rise.

Nadia pitches the program to the Iraqi minister and wins approval for a pilot reintegration scheme.

The women’s group faces mounting tensions and accusations of betrayal, but Sara gradually takes on a leadership role.

She eventually agrees to speak publicly about her experience.

Her raw, articulate testimony impresses international observers.

Nadia’s academic article on trauma-informed deradicalization gains international acclaim.

She’s praised—and attacked—online, even receiving threats.

Meanwhile, a long-awaited message from Rosy brings closure.

They speak, and although Rosy has moved on, Nadia feels a sense of peace.

In a climactic decision, Sara is released into a conditional reintegration scheme.

As she leaves the camp, she and Nadia share a quiet goodbye—heavy with unspoken trust and risk.

Nadia rejects Tom’s final attempt at reconciliation.

She finally embraces her independence.

The novel ends where it began: Nadia and Sara crossing the mountains.

This time, Sara is not just a burden or symbol—she is a person transformed, full of complexity and still a work in progress.

Nadia, too, has changed—from idealistic academic to someone who understands that helping people isn’t about fixing them.

It’s about walking with them through the mess, however uncertain the path may be.

Characters

Nadia

Nadia is the central character of Fundamentally, and her evolution throughout the novel is intricate and deeply personal. She starts as a highly educated academic with a deep understanding of deradicalization and trauma, tasked with designing a rehabilitation program for ISIS brides.

Nadia is a woman in her early thirties who, despite her professional success, grapples with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Her personal life adds layers to her character, particularly her unresolved relationship with her ex-partner, Rosy, which weighs heavily on her throughout the story.

Nadia’s vulnerability is evident in her emotional entanglements, especially with Tom, a colleague, whose possessiveness and attention highlight her emotional fragility. Her relationship with Sara, the main subject of her program, serves as both a professional challenge and a deeply human connection.

Nadia’s journey is one of introspection, as she navigates the blurred lines between morality, duty, and personal sacrifice. Ultimately, Nadia’s character is defined by her growth in understanding trauma, the complexities of human behavior, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding her work.

Sara

Sara, a former ISIS bride from East London, is initially introduced as a combative and resistant character. She challenges every aspect of the rehabilitation program and serves as a foil to Nadia’s academic theories on deradicalization.

However, as the story progresses, Sara reveals the trauma that led her to radicalization and her struggle with guilt and betrayal. Her transformation is one of the novel’s most powerful arcs, as Nadia’s understanding of Sara evolves from seeing her as a subject for her program to recognizing her as a woman scarred by deep emotional wounds.

Sara’s defiance is a form of protection, and through her interactions with Nadia, she uncovers the pain of her past, including the loss of her child and the manipulation she faced by recruiters. Despite her initial resistance, Sara’s eventual willingness to engage with the program speaks to her desire for redemption.

Her final act of defiance before leaving the camp signifies her complex journey from victim to survivor.

Tom

Tom is a well-meaning but emotionally flawed colleague of Nadia, working as a security officer within the UN compound. He is physically imposing and protective of Nadia, which initially comes across as chivalrous, but his growing possessiveness over her starts to border on unhealthy.

Tom’s attraction to Nadia and his jealousy over her increasing closeness with Sara leads to a confrontation that ends their brief, unsatisfactory relationship. While Tom’s feelings are genuine, his inability to respect Nadia’s boundaries and his dependence on her for emotional validation illustrate his own emotional immaturity.

His character provides a stark contrast to Nadia’s internal journey of independence, as she learns to assert herself and sever ties with people who do not align with her evolving sense of self.

Lina Khoury

Lina Khoury, Nadia’s boss at the UN, is a distant and authoritative figure. She represents the bureaucratic nature of the UN system, which often prioritizes speed over depth in decision-making.

Her role in the novel is less about personal development and more about highlighting the systemic challenges Nadia faces in executing her project. Lina is portrayed as emotionally detached, with little interest in mentoring Nadia.

She does, however, play a pivotal role in moving the narrative forward, particularly when she pressures Nadia to deliver results and facilitates the final stages of the program. While Lina’s actions sometimes come across as cold and unfeeling, they reflect the harsh realities of working within a political and hierarchical system.

Pierre and Sherri

Pierre and Sherri, members of the UN team, contribute to the dysfunction and tension within the group. Pierre, a Frenchman, is resentful of Nadia’s role and often undermines her authority, which adds to her growing sense of inadequacy.

He is dismissive of her ideas and sees her as an outsider to the field. Sherri, an Australian psychologist, is more aligned with Nadia’s goals but remains skeptical of the program’s ethics.

She is uptight and often challenges the methods being used, creating friction within the team. Both characters serve to illustrate the difficulties Nadia faces in trying to implement her vision, particularly when working with individuals who do not share her commitment to the mission.

Themes

The Intersection of Trauma and Ideology in Radicalization

At the heart of the narrative is the complex interplay between trauma and ideology in the radicalization process. Nadia, a UN worker tasked with deradicalizing women who were once part of ISIS, initially views extremism through a lens of ideological rigidity.

However, her journey throughout the book shifts her perspective, as she begins to see trauma, particularly personal grief and alienation, as central to the process of radicalization. This theme challenges the simplistic notion that radicalism is solely the product of religious or ideological conviction.

Nadia discovers that, in many cases, trauma—such as the loss of family, personal betrayal, or feelings of deep-seated alienation from society—can propel individuals towards extreme beliefs. 

In working with Sara, Nadia confronts the painful truth that the journey toward extremism is not just about beliefs but about personal suffering that shapes one’s worldview and decisions.

This theme is difficult because it forces the reader to question the nature of victimhood and guilt, often blurring the lines between those who are complicit and those who are, in essence, victims of their circumstances.

The Struggles of Moral Ambiguity and the Ethics of Intervention

Nadia’s struggle to reconcile the morality of her work with the ethical implications of intervening in the lives of these women is another profound theme. 

Nadia’s initial intent is to help reintegrate women like Sara into society, but as she delves deeper into the lives of these women, she faces a moral dilemma: Can someone who was once radicalized, and possibly complicit in violence, truly be helped?

The narrative doesn’t offer easy answers, and Nadia grapples with the inherent contradictions of her role. She must navigate the complexity of trauma and guilt, questioning her ability to distinguish between victim and perpetrator.

The ethical concerns also extend to the methods employed in deradicalization, such as the tension between reforming ideologies and addressing the deep psychological scars of the participants. 

Nadia’s internal conflict about her role in these women’s lives, especially Sara’s, is representative of the broader dilemma of interventionism: when does helping someone cross over into trying to control or manipulate their personal transformation?

Personal Identity, Loss, and the Quest for Belonging

Another significant theme in the novel is the exploration of personal identity and the profound impact of loss. Nadia’s own background is marked by a series of personal upheavals, including her complicated relationship with her mother and the breakup with her partner, Rosy.

These personal experiences echo throughout her interactions with the women she is attempting to help. Nadia, much like Sara, is someone who is searching for a sense of belonging, whether it be through family, faith, or romantic relationships.

The novel suggests that the quest for personal identity and belonging is universal—whether through cultural or religious frameworks or through the bonds we form with others. This search for meaning is not always easy or straightforward, and it is often fraught with pain, as seen in Nadia’s emotional struggles throughout the novel.

Sara’s radicalization and Nadia’s disillusionment both reflect the difficulty of finding belonging in a world that seems increasingly fragmented and hostile.

The Strain of Bureaucracy and Global Diplomacy in Humanitarian Work

The theme of bureaucratic and institutional challenges in global diplomacy and humanitarian work is also explored. As Nadia navigates the complexities of working within the UN, she frequently encounters systemic inefficiencies, power struggles, and political barriers that impede her ability to make a tangible impact.

Her work is consistently undermined by the disinterested attitudes of her superiors, the infighting within the UN team, and the political agendas that prioritize results over meaningful solutions. This theme speaks to the frustrations and limitations of working within large, impersonal organizations where the focus often shifts away from the human costs of bureaucracy.

Nadia’s frustration with the UN’s failures highlights the theme of institutionalized failure in humanitarian efforts, especially when those efforts are disconnected from the lived experiences of the people they aim to help.

The Transformative Power of Human Connection and Compassion

Despite the overwhelming challenges she faces, Nadia discovers that personal connections and acts of empathy are ultimately transformative. The bond that develops between Nadia and Sara, despite their initial antagonism, becomes one of the most powerful elements of the narrative.

Through their interactions, Nadia begins to understand that change is not only about programs and policies but about human compassion. Nadia’s emotional growth throughout the story is inextricably linked to her ability to connect with others on a deep, empathetic level.

This theme suggests that, in the midst of systemic failures and ideological battles, personal relationships and compassion can serve as a force of change, even if that change is slow and incremental. 

By the end of the novel, Nadia’s relationship with Sara represents not just a professional victory, but a personal one, as she learns that redemption and healing often arise from understanding and shared humanity, rather than from ideological alignment or state-sanctioned solutions.