An innovative and brilliant idea; a book accessible to young girls looking for role models and adults interested in learning more about Muslim women, add to all that beautifully executed illustrations and you should have the formula for a perfect book, right?
Well, almost.
What I took issue with in this book is that it seemed like the author was trying to assimilate these women to certain western standards, for example the artist Chibia Tallal is illustrated to look more than 50 kilos thinner than her true self p95 , why not show her for all her beauty as a role model for heavier-set girls? And our mother Khadija is said to have said “she would marry only for love” p13 there is no record of her ever having said that anywhere! In fact in the records we have of her it would seem that she was looking for someone whose great purpose she could share, She was a strong women looking for a great man whom she could help forge a whole nation! why water it down to a Disney style fantasy?
But I still enjoyed it, and most importantly learned about great strong Muslim women I did not know of which is what I wanted from this book in the first place.