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starrysteph's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
A riveting coming-of-age memoir.
Luma Mufleh is a compassionate storyteller & paints a full picture of her young adult life: growing up amidst a big family in Jordan, grappling with her identity without access to the language to describe her feelings, going to college and discovering herself in the US but feeling torn between worlds, fighting for political asylum and giving up all she has ever known, and eventually forging a future without her loved ones by her side.
The writing is full of complexity and love and anguish and sacrifice.
Her journey to ultimately accepting her gay identity - and realizing that in order to live freely as herself there is so much she has to give up - is heart-wrenching but hopeful.
Luma learns to forge her own identity. She discovers who is truly with her and who is not. She expands her understanding of family and both welcomes love from others and protects voices that are newly vulnerable.
Ultimately, From Here is a story about finding home.
CW: homophobia, lesbophobia, death of loved ones, murder, misogyny, sexism, war, islamophobia, racism, animal cruelty, animal death, adult/minor relationship, bullying, cancer, car accident, police brutality, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, panic attacks, religious bigotry
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Bullying, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Murder, Misogyny, Sexism, War, Islamophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Animal cruelty, and Cancer
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