Yousra Imran's Blog, page 2

In the Palace of Flowers by Victoria Princewell

After having taken a trip to Vietnam via The Mountains Sing I then took a time travel machine back to the late 19th century court and harem of the Qajar Empire in Iran via this beautifully crafted historical novel. If you love historical fiction you will enjoy this book. In the Palace of Flowers by Victoria Princewell comes out on 25th February 2021. A huge thanks to the publishers, Cassava Republic, for gifting me with this advance copy.

In the Palace of Flowers is the tale of two Abyssinian slaves, Jamila, a concubine, and Abimelech, a eunuch. They are both close friends and confidantes, serving the spoilt Prince Nosrat, the youngest of the Shah’s sons. Slaves are taught to believe that they should not want more from their lives - that they’ll not be remembered when they are gone - and this is not what Jamila nor Abimelech want.

What follows is a brilliantly written story full of twists and turns as Jamila and Abimelech find themselves getting involved in politics - an arena that slaves were told not to be involved in - at a time where revolution is brewing in Iran. The sheer amount of research that went into this book must have been astounding, as Princewell goes into so much detail, and uses Farsi terms used at that time.

Princewell took inspiration from a real handwritten letter from 1905 written by an Abyssinian slave called Jamila Habashi, who lived in Iran. It may very well be the only written account of its kind from an Iranian-Abyssinian slave. The real Jamila’s mother came from the Omraniyyah tribe. My own father’s tribe in Egypt is Al Omraniyyah, and they were from the Al Khazraj Al Ansari tribe from Medinah in modern day Saudi Arabia, so it got me wondering if the Ansar settled in Abyssinia too. Fascinating stuff!

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

How did you learn about the Vietnam War? Was it mainly through the History Channel or BBC documentaries? Or maybe in a small section when learning about the Cold War during GCSE/A-Level history? How often do you come across an account written by a Vietnamese author? The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai was recommended by @sofia_reading and it definitely did not disappoint!

This coming-of-age novel switches between Huoang, lovingly called Guava by her grandmother (as a form of protection from possible evil spirits) narrating the course of her life during the Vietnam War alongside her grandmother Dieu Lan, as she waits for her parents and her uncles to return from the war, and then the narrative of Dieu Lan as she tells Guava her family’s history.

This multi-generational historical novel brings alive Vietnam’s painful modern history, and despite a family history of pain, trauma and loss, there’s also so much faith, resilience, belief in karma, and hope.

I found myself being able to vividly imagine Vietnam thanks to the way Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai beautifully describes the settings, the culture, and the Buddhist faith. It honestly felt like I’d mentally journeyed there!

The book is easy to read, and as a coming-of-age novel the language is simple but not in any way basic. If you’ve been meaning to read this, do! You won’t be disappointed.

Love in the Kingdom of Oil by Nawal El Saadawi

I am a huge fan of Nawal El Saadawi and her work and have made it a life mission to collect all her works. I’ve just finished reading Love in the Kingdom of Oil. This is Saqi’s beautiful edition of the novel.

I’m familiar with El Saadawi’s use of magic realism in her work, such as in The Fall of the Imam. In The Fall of The Imam the lives of the female protagonist and her mother almost merge into one. Love in the Kingdom of Oil falls into the realm of magic realism.

Our female protagonist is an archaeologist in an oil-rich country (which reads as something that is a cross between Egypt and Saudi Arabia). She is already working in a profession that men in her country view unfit for women. She does something that no woman has done before - she takes “leave” and goes off with her chisel, dressed in what is considered “male” clothing, in search of Sekhmet, the Ancient Egyptian goddess of war and healing. Her husband informs the police and the newspapers announce that anyone who is sheltering her will be punished. What is clear is that they are scared - scared that other women will follow suit. No woman has disobeyed her husband nor the state before. This country is a kingdom ruled by an illiterate king, whose picture is hung everywhere.

Our protagonist comes across a man and he takes her in, and he assumes the role of a second husband. He forces her to join other women, carrying heavy jars of oil on their heads for foreign oil contractors in return for no money. As the story continues, the husband and this second man seem to merge into one.

I’ve got to be honest, this novel does require a lot of focus - at points I was getting confused, and it was similar at times to reading The Fall of the Imam, but perhaps El Saadawi does this merging on purpose. It implies that in her view, in a patriarchal society men are one force. The novel is full of metaphors; through the oil, the absolute monarchy and the second man who assumes the role of her husband, we learn how monarchy, state, men and capitalism are all intersecting factors that can cause repression, and in the case of this novel, repression of female citizens.

Our Women on the Ground edited by Zahra Hankir

I’d had my eye on Our Women On The Ground, an anthology of personal essays written by 19 female Arab journalists, for quite a while, and when @aishathebibliophile posted some passages on her IG Stories I took the plunge and ordered it! Whenever I had the chance this week I found myself longing to return back to it, and multitasked while reading.

The 19 sahafiyaat, Arabic for female journalists, provide us with an exclusive insight into their worlds. The majority of the sahafiyaat are foreign correspondents or conflict reporters, and they provide a nuanced description of what life is like working in a role that traditionally has been considered a job for men in the Middle East. We learn how they juggle the role with their family lives, sometimes juggling it alongside motherhood, and the difficult decisions they sometimes have to make between staying at home with their children and/or families and being on the street reporting.

As women they have access to the private spaces of other women, giving them the opportunity to write and report on how war, politics, and economics affect the everyday lives of women.

The standout essay for me was Yemeni Women With Fighting Spirits as it challenged the idea we may have of what a journalist “looks like.” Amira Al-Sharif provided a fascinating insight into what it is like navigating the customs and traditions of Yemeni society while wanting to pursue her dream career as a photo journalist.

I deeply resonated with several essays which touched upon what it is like to be a journalist while you have your own politics at home, such as Lina Al Attalah’s essay and Eman Helal’s essay.

It can be hard to fathom the challenges women in the Arab world still face unless you live there - sometimes we ask ourselves are they really still fighting for the most basic of women’s rights - the answer in some countries is yes. From my experience living there for 15 years women in the Middle East are some of the most resilient, strong-willed and resourceful women you will ever meet.

Silence Is A Sense by Layla Al Ammar

I received a proof of Silence Is A Sense by Kuwaiti novelist Layla Al Ammar from Borough Press - a massive thank you to them as it brightened up my week. It was one of the books I was very excited about for 2021, and I devoured it in two days 😍 Al Ammar is also the author of The Pact We Made, which I loved too. Silence Is A Sense is out on 4th March 2021.

The novel is in first person narrative - our protagonist is a young Syrian woman who has arrived to the UK as a refugee on her own, and has been placed in what appears to be a high rise tower in a council estate. We do not know her name and she is now mute. She often stands on her balcony or by her living room window and observes the going-ons in the other flats, mentally taking notes of everything.

As well as studying online for a degree, she writes a column for a news outlet under the pen name “The Voiceless.” Her editor constantly tries to deter her from writing about her political views and wants her to instead write stories about her journey to England, and her trauma. Our protagonist tries her hardest to stay hidden, but unfolding events in the local community turn her into an important witness.

The chapters move between the present time, her experiences during the early stages of the revolution and war in Syria, and her journey to the UK. The protagonist also shares her own writing with us. I found it really interesting how the people she engaged with via her writing were so adamant on her talking about her trauma. Through the novel we learn how silence can both protect and harm.

Emotional and gripping, I could not put it down. Elements of the novel reminded me of Ghassan Kanafani’s work. I am excited for the release of this novel and positive it will be enjoyed by many.

The Sky Is Mine by Amy Beashel

First read of 2021! YA novel The Sky is Mine by Amy Beashel. I would say this is older YA, suitable for readers aged 16+ as it deals with topics such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, and rape.

Izzy lives with her mum and her stepdad Daniel, who works as a celebrity lookalike and actor. All of Izzy’s friends think Daniel is great but it’s a different story behind closed doors. In addition to contending with a stepdad who is violent, narcissistic and controlling, Izzy is being blackmailed by her classmate Jacob, who forced himself on her during a party and took pictures. As the blackmail continues, and the situation at home deteriorates, will Izzy find her voice?

This was a gripping read, and Izzy is such a likeable protagonist that you find yourself rooting for her for the entire duration of the book. It was also a heart-wrenching read - at times I did have to take a short break, reminding me of the reading experience I had with My Dark Vanessa, so if you find reading about domestic abuse, sexual assault, and rape triggering do take this into account.

The novel examines rape culture, and how some young adult men make derogatory statements about girls and women as “bants” so I think this is as an important read for young men as it is for young women. Thinking back to when I was a teenager, I can only think of Jacqueline Wilson delving into social topics that were relevant at the time, so I’m glad that authors like Beashel are writing the YA novels that teenagers and young adults need to have.

I think the author did a really good job of showing an evolution in Izzy’s thinking - she starts off unable to understand things from her mother’s point of view, such as why didn’t her mother leave an abusive relationship? But by the end of the novel she begins to put herself in her mother’s shoes, and this is an incredibly difficult thing for a teenager to do. I know that only now as an adult am I able to understand things from my own parents’ point of view. A highly recommended read for YA lovers.

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat

I read You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat in one sitting - that’s how gripped I was! This was my final book of 2020.

You Exist Too Much is the story of a young Palestinian American bisexual woman in Brooklyn, New York, who has checked herself into a rehabilitation centre for addictions, on account of her love addiction. She has a habit of pursuing both men and women who make it clear to her that they are unattainable, damaging her relationship with her girlfriend Anna.

Similar to the experience of Amrou Al-Kadhi in their memoir, Life As A Unicorn, Arafat’s protagonist yearns for the love and acceptance of her mother, and her mother rejects her for being bisexual. Between each chapter we are given a vignette that goes back to the protagonist’s childhood - her parents’ turbulent marriage and break-up, battling with an eating disorder, her self-discovery of her sexual orientation, and her holidays in Nablus and Amman.

This is another important insight into navigating life as someone who is Muslim, Arab and queer, and the way in which parents’ and families’ expectations can lead them to having to live two lives to “protect” family reputation and/or for fear of losing the love of one’s parents.

One of the most interesting things I read in this book was the idea that those who have been through traumatic experiences feel the need to over explain themselves - and this is something I do a lot.

Life As A Unicorn by Amrou Al-Kadhi

If I was to sum up Amrou Al-Kadhi’s memoir in one word I’d say it was magical. I devoured it in less than two days. Life As A Unicorn is Al-Kadhi’s memoir of life growing up as a non-binary Muslim Arab between the Gulf and the UK. At times I laughed, at others I cried - and at some points it was both!

In their memoir, Al-Kadhi relates to us how the rejection of their family of their identity as non-binary in turn led them to rejecting their Muslim and Arab heritage, trying their best to find acceptance among white British lads after they got a scholarship to Eton (yes, the Eton), and then their journey while studying at Cambridge University, setting up a drag troupe called DENIM, to finally coming to a point in their adult life where they embraced their heritage, became comfortable in their identity, carving a space for themselves as someone who is Muslim, Arab and queer.

Their memoir was thoughtful and emotional, but also injected with lots of humour. Their love for their mother and yearning for her acceptance and approval is something many of us can resonate with. It was a good insight also into the types of behaviour and reactions that Muslim and Arab people in the LGBTQ+ community have to deal with when coming out.

Al-Kadhi wrote about how as a child in Islamic Studies lessons religion was taught to them through fear and scare-mongering, and how this triggered their OCD, and this is definitely something I can relate to. If you’ve been meaning to get this book for a while, I hope my review helps push it up to the top of your to-buy list! It’s a memoir that will stay with me for a while.

Modesty: A Fashion Paradox by Hafsa Lodi

I tell everyone now that for a real insight into modest fashion and the history of hijab-wearing this is my resource. I recently mentioned it as THE book to read, in an article I wrote about the cyber bullying of women who both do and don’t wear the hijab from within the Muslim community.

Lodi is a fashion journalist in the UAE, the birthplace of many of the first modest fashion labels and modest fashion blogs, and through her work there and travels around the world, Lodi gives a real inside look into the modest fashion industry. Lodi charts the history of the modest fashion industry and how it has evolved - it’s a relatively new industry. She also looks at the origins of the hijab and modest fashion - Islam isn’t the first religion to promote modest dress, other Abrahamic faiths before Islam did so, and Lodi examines each faith and the place of modest dress in that particular faith.

Lodi looks at the capitalisation of modest dress by Western labels and couture houses and whether their interpretations of modest dress are compatible with Islamic ideas of modest dress. What I particularly enjoy about the book is the huge number of Muslim women Lodi quotes from bloggers to writers and designers to even female Muslim scholars!

Random fact - I had my own modest fashion blog back in 2010 when I lived in Qatar called Under Your Abaya, (www.underyourabaya.blogspot.com) and was one of the first 4 bloggers in the country, so that’s where my Twitter handle comes from!

The added plus are the beautiful pictures in the book.

This is an easily readable book and a beautiful addition to my ever-growing collection of books on women and Islam.

The Muslim Problem: What It Actually Means to be Muslim by Tawseef Khan

I am so incredibly grateful that a book like The Muslim Problem, by British Asian lawyer and writer Tawseef Khan, is coming out into the world. A special thanks to Atlantic Books for gifting me with an advance copy. The Muslim Problem comes out in March 2021.

In The Muslim Problem, Tawseef Khan deconstructs the most common stereotypes held about Muslims, particularly in the wake of 9/11 - that we are “extremist,” “sexist,” “violent,” “homophobic,” and “refuse to integrate.” Each chapter is almost a separate essay exploring these stereotypes in the face of rising Islamophobia in the West. Each chapter has been written in a very balanced manner as Khan explores how Muslims contend with a multitude of issues within the community as well as contending with the accusations thrown at them from Western governments and the far right. And this balance and ability to self-reflect is why I enjoyed it so much. He also includes anecdotes from his own life which helps make it an enjoyable and accessible read for all.

The points made in this book are extremely refreshing, especially when it comes to the status of women in Islam and Islam’s approach to queerness/LGBTQ+ community - and Khan has clearly thoroughly researched each topic, speaking to a wide range of Muslim writers, scholars and public figures.

The book concludes with a mini manifesto, one that encourages and invigorates Muslims in today’s world, where sometimes we are shot down within our community for trying to re-examine and re-explore certain interpretations in the religion, while at the same time living with discrimination from those who hate Islam. Mentally juggling the two becomes quite disheartening and I finished this book feeling re-heartened (I just made that word up lol!), feeling like I have a right to my space within the community.

A vital read for Muslims and non-Muslims alike who wish to understand life as a Muslim today. Five stars!