At first I wanted to DNF this book. I’m slow to do that because I find it typically pays off. I can usually tell by the first few pages if I will stop or not. Typically I finish unless I can’t get over the writing style. So what that means is this was a slow starting book for me. After about 130 pages I was hooked. The book itself is only about 360, so it took almost 1/3 of the way in to keep my attention. However, once it got going it went at a much quicker pace.

I’ve read some reviews that state authors always portray Muslims in a negative light and that this book is no different. I would disagree. Yes, one father beats his daughter. No that’s not a good thing. The book does a good job pointing out that this is not the norm. The books offered several portrayals of practicing Muslims and what different levels of religions look like. You see that with every religion and this book did a good job capturing what religion looks like to different people.

I particularly liked the two intertwining stories. While they don’t intertwine until about mid way into the story you are kept wondering if they ever will. Thankfully they do.

This story is powerful and makes you think about what being a Muslim in the US is like. This book is set in 2016, and if you remember it was not a particularly good time to try to come to the US or be a Muslim in the US. The book touches on that.

The book wrap things up nicely and while I did have a few questions, they were not major. All the main plot lines were completed nicely.