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4.59 AVERAGE
4.59 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I really enjoyed reading this memoir. I think the way Lamya uses stories from the Quran to make sense of her own story was interesting. I feel like I learned things from both her explanations of the stories in the Quran and her own life. I felt reading the memoir made me curious to hear other Muslim stories and experiences. I wish the author hadn't had to write this anonymously but I understand why it had to be. Being anonymous actually gave the author more freedom to tell her own story and be unapologetically queer and Muslim.
In the version of the ebook I read there is an edited transcript of selected portions of an interview between Lamya H and Roxan Gay for the Audacious Book Club from March 30, 2023. I highly recommend reading that interview after reading the memoir as it provides some additional context and explanations.
In the version of the ebook I read there is an edited transcript of selected portions of an interview between Lamya H and Roxan Gay for the Audacious Book Club from March 30, 2023. I highly recommend reading that interview after reading the memoir as it provides some additional context and explanations.
extremely healing to read the same stories I grew up with reframed around love queerness and growing into yourself <3
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Disclaimer: This is a book I may revisit at a later time.
I grew up in a non-denominational Christian household, and coming out to my family has made me especially interested in stories from other LGBTQ+ people raised in religious environments. I found the author’s perception of Allah to be really interesting—though I’ve seen from other reviews that this perspective is considered highly controversial. Still, I appreciated it.
I saw many similarities between the author’s family and my own and fully understood why they chose to hide their sexuality. In contrast, I came out to mine not knowing how deeply our religious background would affect our relationship.
So why only three stars?
Unfortunately, I just didn’t find the story particularly gripping. I wonder if I might have connected with it more deeply if I had a better understanding of Islam going in. That said, I still believe books like this are incredibly important. LGBTQ+ people need representation in all spaces—including religious ones.
Unfortunately, I just didn’t find the story particularly gripping. I wonder if I might have connected with it more deeply if I had a better understanding of Islam going in. That said, I still believe books like this are incredibly important. LGBTQ+ people need representation in all spaces—including religious ones.
Really nice and interesting memoir. I'm not very familiar with the Quran itself, so I learned a lot about that throughout, which was interesting. There are a lot of parts of this memoir that won't ever fully make sense to me because I'm not religious or entrenched in religious culture, and there were several of those parts that honestly frustrated me (which is not a actually a negative). But I found that, even though this story is not relatable to me in the macro, in the micro I was reading extremely specific experiences I've had through the life of someone else. There are so many small things that I saw in here that I never imagined I would see represented so closely to how I experienced them. And that's one of the most interesting experiences to have when reading a memoir, so I enjoyed it even just for that strangeness. I would recommend it.
informative
reflective
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Incredibly well structured into collections of anecdotes that demonstrate a lesson to the author, all often paired with stories from the Quran. I had forgotten how many overlapping stories the Bible and the Quran had. I particularly enjoyed Lamya's interpretation of the story of Ibrahim and Ishmael. In elementary school I asked my dad if he'd sacrifice me the same way Abraham tried to sacrifice Issac, and he told me that God would never ask him to do that, similar to the author's interpretation.
I could say so much about this book but, overall it's just a really beautiful and unique view into someone's life. I'm considering sending a copy to a couple of queer people I knew from church growing up.
I could say so much about this book but, overall it's just a really beautiful and unique view into someone's life. I'm considering sending a copy to a couple of queer people I knew from church growing up.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced