Bloodshed. Bombings. Suicide. Murder.
This is what our world has come to...all in the name of God.
Nadia is a seventeen year old girl living in Syria. She walks the path of a pious Muslim girl. Prays. Studies. Obeys her family. Wears a hijab. She is devoted to Islam and to her country.
But Nadia is living in a time of turmoil. There is a war going on in Iraq. Palestine and Isreal are in conflict. Syria is struggling economically and politically. No one can find a good paying job and those who do have jobs are constantly threatened with downsizing. No one can speak out against the Syrian government. One must be careful because one never knows who is listening and selling information. The Western world seems to be the only one to blame.
It isn't until Nadia's cousin Fowzi is arrested that she really begins to take notice of the political conflicts going on around her. No one knows what Fowzi did or said to prompt his arrest. No one knows where they took him. Nadia feels helpless. In her helpless state, she begins a personal and secret journey to find him.
Along this path, she involves herself with one of Fowzi's fanatical friends. This path leads her down the road to fundamentalism. It is this path that leads her to contemplate the ultimate sacrifice of life or death all in the name of God.
I am always drawn to books about religion. This book particularly interested me. At the moment, the state of our world is in shambles. In many respects, the conflicts are all in the name of God. Christians, Jews, Muslims. What are we fighting for? Does God really want us to annihilate each other? I don't have the answers. But we do all have free will. We have a choice. Which path should we take?
In many ways this novel reads like a non-fiction book because of the historical aspects. Due to that, I think this novel would be a great tool to use to introduce Islam to our secular schools. High school students in the upper grade levels would benefit most from this novel. It can especially help the future leaders of our western world to understand (not agree with) how someone can come to the decision to commit the ultimate sacrifice, all in the name of God. We need to open the lines of communication now so that our children can stop the fiasco that we have created.
5 comments:
This is very well-done, too, Lisa. Sounds like a book I should add to my must read list.
I again like your hyperlinks--maybe add some more toward the end, when you discuss different religions?
Take care,
TP
Again an important book.
I definitely want to read it. I want to know what this girl thinks and feels.
Your review connects nicely to real world issues, too. (I personally have problems doing that, but here I can see how that can look.)
Great job.
Wow, sounds like a powerful book. Religion is always touchy isn't it?!
But needs to be discussed and respected. This book sounds like a great addition for teaching.
lisa- i enjoyed your review because it gave a nice amount of information about the plot, while not revealing too much. i'm really interested in religion, too, so i love reading books that can provide some insight on different perspectives. i come from a muslim family, so i'm always curious to see/ hear the stigma most people associate with islam. it seems from your review that the book tries to provide a different perspective, but doesn't try to convince the audience of what's right/wrong (am i right?). i liked the fact that your review stressed the importance of understanding different cultures, world views, and motives and i believe YA really need to understand these ideas as well. good job!
Good review Lisa! I too am interested in books on religion and considered this book.
I appreciate your comment and suggestion about opening up the lines of communication for the sake of the children. That is a message that isn't too often preached, yet needs to be heard!
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