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dennisfischman 's review for:

3.0

Even after years of exposure to Muslim thought and culture, there was so much in this book that I needed to learn. The various prayers at the various times, with the purification ahead of time; the differences between immigrants and native-born Muslims, between Syrians and Saudis and Sudanese, between Sunni, Shia, and Sufi, and between Nation of Islam and Arab nationalists. At times, the book felt encyclopedic, and I could have used a table of contents and a glossary.

Don’t get me wrong. The lead character, Khadra, is engaging, and certainly enough happens to her to make the book dramatic: even melodramatic at times. When she went through her dark night of the soul, I wanted to weep. But overall, the story was a little shapeless and the ending a little forced.