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A review by acolorfulreader
Hijab and Red Lipstick by Yousra Imran
***thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review***
CW: sexual assault, violence, rape, sexism (check other reviews for more, in case I've missed something)
Hijab and Red Lipstick is the story of Sara, a young girl who's grown up in the UK, but moves to the Gulf when her father gets a job there. In the Arabian Gulf, where the patriarchy rules, it isn't easy being a young girl.
Sara and her family are Muslim. I liked how the author explained things from this culture such as clothing and how she argued that Islam's view on women has gotten a bad rep because of the Middle Eastern culture's impact on it — that Islam isn't as sexist as often viewed in many parts of western culture.
This story was a great window into a culture I haven't read much about before. Reading this honest and unflinching portrayal was rough at times, but mostly just eye-opening.
I, unfortunately, didn't connect with the writing style and found that the narrative structure with two timelines (though one not taking up much space) didn't work as well for me, but that's purely a personal preference.
Overall, I'm just so glad I read this book and would recommend it!
CW: sexual assault, violence, rape, sexism (check other reviews for more, in case I've missed something)
Hijab and Red Lipstick is the story of Sara, a young girl who's grown up in the UK, but moves to the Gulf when her father gets a job there. In the Arabian Gulf, where the patriarchy rules, it isn't easy being a young girl.
Sara and her family are Muslim. I liked how the author explained things from this culture such as clothing and how she argued that Islam's view on women has gotten a bad rep because of the Middle Eastern culture's impact on it — that Islam isn't as sexist as often viewed in many parts of western culture.
This story was a great window into a culture I haven't read much about before. Reading this honest and unflinching portrayal was rough at times, but mostly just eye-opening.
I, unfortunately, didn't connect with the writing style and found that the narrative structure with two timelines (though one not taking up much space) didn't work as well for me, but that's purely a personal preference.
Overall, I'm just so glad I read this book and would recommend it!