Reader, as you peruse these chapters, what can or will you do, knowing that what you do can save lives and can change the course of history? Reader, wReader, as you peruse these chapters, what can or will you do, knowing that what you do can save lives and can change the course of history? Reader, will you make this matter? —Refat Alareer
May this book inspire us all to find and nurture the roses and light among those who struggle for survival and freedom in Gaza, in all of Palestine, and in every corner of the world where injustrice still haunts the wretched of this earth. —Jehad Abusalim...more
I have absolutely no idea how to describe this book or review it in a way that does it any justice, but just know that every single word spoke to my wI have absolutely no idea how to describe this book or review it in a way that does it any justice, but just know that every single word spoke to my whole soul.
CW: discussion of colonialism, racism, Islamophobia, intergenerational trauma; death of a close friend from cancer ...more
I tend to avoid 'WW2 in Britain/France' books, because I find them very samey and consider the time period overall very overdone - but apparently addiI tend to avoid 'WW2 in Britain/France' books, because I find them very samey and consider the time period overall very overdone - but apparently adding a Muslim character is the way to get me to read one, and this was wonderful!
Safiyyah was such a brilliant heroine - she's so brave and bold and curious, and Hiba Noor Khan does such a great job of capturing a child's perspective, balancing an eleven year old's worldview with the upheaval having to grow up too fast in wartime. Her relationship with her family was also so lovely, especially her grandmother (though I also wanted to know more about the family's history! Why did they move from Algeria to Spain, and then to France?)
Though I've been to the Grand Mosque of Paris, I had no idea about its history helping Jews escape the Holocaust. I love that it's the characters' foundation of faith that makes them so determined to do the right thing (we often hear about Catholic priests etc. who sheltered Jews in WW2, so I love that we get this version of that story too!), and I really appreciated how naturally Islam was woven into the story.
Ultimately this is a story about love and kindness, and doing the right thing even when it would be easier not to. Certain lines definitely felt very pointedly applicable to present day issues, but overall I love the message that this sends for both children and adult readers! Actually, this is exactly the kind of book I want adults who dismiss middle grade to read, because the writing may be simple, but that doesn't mean it's not effective, and the way Khan writes emotions is incredibly moving!
Thank you to NetGalley and Andersen Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
CW: antisemitism, Holocaust, PTSD, family separation, grief...more
I don’t disagree with reviewers saying that it ‘lacks substance’, in that it doesn’t ever really explain what hijab means from Just absolutely lovely.
I don’t disagree with reviewers saying that it ‘lacks substance’, in that it doesn’t ever really explain what hijab means from a religious perspective, but it does capture more than the fashion aspect and it still feels empowering (and maybe one picture book can’t be expected to convey all the depth and nuance of such a complicated and often misunderstood religious tradition, hm?)...more
Just as cute and lovely as Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets, which was the first book from this trio that I read. If anything it’s even more succesJust as cute and lovely as Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets, which was the first book from this trio that I read. If anything it’s even more successful, because the colours it’s teaching are so vibrant in the beautiful illustrations, whereas I thought some of the shapes in the first book blended into the rest of the picture a bit too much. ...more
Just an absolutely lovely story with beautiful illustrations– and with a twist ending that I honestly didn’t anticipate! I loved the message of kindneJust an absolutely lovely story with beautiful illustrations– and with a twist ending that I honestly didn’t anticipate! I loved the message of kindness and giving, especially during Ramadan, and this would be another great book for both Muslim and non-Muslim kids, especially since it has end notes that explain Ramadan and fasting, as well as issues like refugees and shelters, that would be good starting points for discussion with a child.
Definitely my favourite of this bunch! This would be so great as a read aloud/bedtime book. It's essentially a mother making dua (prayer) for her chilDefinitely my favourite of this bunch! This would be so great as a read aloud/bedtime book. It's essentially a mother making dua (prayer) for her child in rhyming couplets, and the writing and illustrations are both just so beautiful and emotional!...more
Very cute, and I love how this talks about both the physical actions of Ramadan, and touches on the spiritual meaning of the month (I would e4.5 stars
Very cute, and I love how this talks about both the physical actions of Ramadan, and touches on the spiritual meaning of the month (I would expect nothing less from Na'ima B. Robert!) The illustrations are a really interesting decoupage/collage style that I haven’t seen before – it’s quite cartoony and looks less ‘polished’ than most, but very cute!...more
Super cute, and I love how Hena Khan connects shapes and geometry to the history of Islamic art and architecture! I did wonder if the shapes 4.5 stars
Super cute, and I love how Hena Khan connects shapes and geometry to the history of Islamic art and architecture! I did wonder if the shapes themselves weren't always prominent enough - the illustrations were gorgeous, but the shape you're meant to be looking at does blend in a bit on a couple of pages - but that's a minor thing!...more
Catching up on reviews for a bunch of picture books, and this one was great! I love the message that Muslim women can be and do so many different thinCatching up on reviews for a bunch of picture books, and this one was great! I love the message that Muslim women can be and do so many different things, and the illustrations were adorable - could see Muslim and non-Muslim children both enjoying this one!...more
[3/6/23] I—wow. Okay. RTC, but this book is hitting me in a lot of ways I wasn’t prepared for and I’m going to need a minute to process it.
CW: divorce[3/6/23] I—wow. Okay. RTC, but this book is hitting me in a lot of ways I wasn’t prepared for and I’m going to need a minute to process it.
CW: divorce, bullying, brief ableism, mentions of depression -------------------- [18/6/23] I have a somewhat mixed track record with Uzma Jalaluddin, and I wasn’t originally planning to request this for review – but the publisher reached out to me, and once they’d offered, I wasn’t going to say no! But having proceeded to devour the book within 24 hours, and then sit on my feelings for over a fortnight, I’m still pretty conflicted about this book.
The retelling The first thing to say is that it’s barely a Persuasion retelling. In typical Uzma Jalaluddin fashion, it’s an extremely loose reimagining – I can see where she’s taken inspiration from Austen, but if I wasn’t looking for the connections, I probably wouldn’t have realised it was a retelling at all. Beyond being a second chance romance, the plot beats aren’t the same at all, and Nada is certainly nothing like Anne Elliot!
The heroine I do appreciate Jalaluddin’s ability to write complex heroines, but my main feeling about Nada was just that she was messy, which is a main character type that I personally tend not to do so well with. While I did relate to some of her feelings, particularly around trying to navigate her two cultures, I mostly found her pretty unlikeable and annoying. She makes some pretty huge mistakes, both in the past and present timelines, and she just felt very immature and self-absorbed!
The romance I also wasn’t entirely sold on the romance. While I enjoyed some of Baz and Nada’s banter, especially in the flashbacks to their original relationship, there wasn’t really much depth to their relationship beyond that. In the original Persuasion, we’re led to believe that Anne and Wentworth could have been happy if they had got married when they first wanted to. But Baz and Nada were completely wrong for each other at 21 – without spoiling anything, I was truly floored by some of the stupid decisions they made, and I absolutely cannot believe that they would have had a successful relationship if they’d stayed together at that point! And they never really discuss their relationship deeply in the present timeline either, so even though they’re both (supposedly) wiser and more mature, that doesn’t feel like enough to fix all their issues.
(That said, the overall discussion around getting married young – particularly in the context of South Asian Muslims – hit me hard and made me feel a LOT of things, so I have to give credit to the writing, even if I didn’t love the characters!)
The representation In terms of the wider story, I always appreciate the way Uzma Jalaluddin manages to capture such a wide spectrum of ways of being Muslim (right down to her willingness to embrace the more uncommon Muslim names – among others, this book had a Bazlur Rahman, Owais, Narjis, Waqas, Firdous...) There was also zero Islamophobia or racism in this book (although a lot of Nada’s struggles have to do with navigating her South Asian-Canadian identity, it’s internal conflict rather than bigotry), which made a nice change!
However, your mileage may vary on whether you consider it halal. I would echo the reviews that say you need to stick with it at the moment where it seems to be not halal in a major way, because that does get cleared up (again, trying to avoid spoilers!) – but still, the milder moments may also stretch the boundaries of what different people consider appropriate.
So overall… I didn’t love this? But I do think a lot of that was down to personal taste, and if you like books about messy, twenty-something women who are allowed to make mistakes, it’s definitely engaging and propulsive!
(Also, this is totally irrelevant to my feelings on the book itself, but I cannot get over how misleading this title is! Every time I think about this book I'm bemused all over again that it's not a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing!)
Thank you to Atlantic Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review....more
Abu Zayd al-Balkhi was a 9th century polymath and writer who lived in what is now northern Afghanistan. Masalih al-Abdan w al-Anfus (Sustenance for BoAbu Zayd al-Balkhi was a 9th century polymath and writer who lived in what is now northern Afghanistan. Masalih al-Abdan w al-Anfus (Sustenance for Bodies and Souls) is his book on looking after your physical and mental health, and this pamphlet is a translation of the latter half of that.
As a historical document, this is fascinating. Al-Balkhi is thought to have been the first known cognitive behavioural therapist, and his ideas on the causes and treatments for mental illnesses were way ahead of anything Western scholars would develop for a full millennium. Malik Badri, the translator – himself a psychologist – has left footnotes comparing al-Balkhi’s comments to modern understandings of psychology, and while he was definitely still of his time in some ways (e.g. references to the four humours), by and large they’re amazingly similar.
And the fact that it is so forward-thinking means that there actually is relevant and applicable advice in here for a modern reader, beyond its value as historical record. He has individual chapters on how to deal with anger, phobias, depression, and OCD (for some of the highlights of each, I direct you to Sahar’s review), as well as some general commentary on the importance of holistic treatment, and how physical and mental health are linked and can affect each other. While his philosophy is rooted in an Islamic worldview, the book isn’t explicitly religious for the most part, so I think a non-Muslim reader could still find it valuable.
There were a couple of his ideas I didn’t necessarily agree with – the admiration al-Balkhi seems to have for psychics and fortune-telling is a little odd, so much that even the translator fails to make sense of it. I also don’t think ‘realising that those who succumb to depression and refuse to fight it are weak and failures in life, whereas those who patiently resist negative thoughts and to face problems with renewed optimism are strong and successful’ is advice that would be given to someone with depression today. But aside from a couple of slightly off paragraphs, I found the overall work very profound and beneficial....more
Loading...
