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A review by beckyreadsitall
The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was quiet and lovely and not at all what I expected (in the best way!)
I first heard about it on the Feminist Book Club podcast, bought it a few months later, and picked it off my bookshelf late in 2020 - I’m so glad I did.
The story is about Afaf, a principal at an all-girls Muslim school outside Chicago, and goes from current day (roughly 2012-ish), when a school shooter comes into the school, and then jumps back to Afaf growing up - starting in 1976 and working its way forward.
The writing was so engaging - I was hooked from the start, even though I was nervous about the school shooter storyline. But Sahar Mustafah handled it so well, and created Afaf’s story so beautifully, I was more interested in getting back to the parts about her growing up than I was the high pressure/high stakes school shooter situation.
There were so many quiet moments of realization in this story - by Afaf, her family or friends, even the guy who was the school shooter - I don’t know that I can quite describe it, but this is a story that will stick with me. I would highly recommend it.
I first heard about it on the Feminist Book Club podcast, bought it a few months later, and picked it off my bookshelf late in 2020 - I’m so glad I did.
The story is about Afaf, a principal at an all-girls Muslim school outside Chicago, and goes from current day (roughly 2012-ish), when a school shooter comes into the school, and then jumps back to Afaf growing up - starting in 1976 and working its way forward.
The writing was so engaging - I was hooked from the start, even though I was nervous about the school shooter storyline. But Sahar Mustafah handled it so well, and created Afaf’s story so beautifully, I was more interested in getting back to the parts about her growing up than I was the high pressure/high stakes school shooter situation.
There were so many quiet moments of realization in this story - by Afaf, her family or friends, even the guy who was the school shooter - I don’t know that I can quite describe it, but this is a story that will stick with me. I would highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
Abandonment