main character energy

words | aanya ismail illustrations | hafsah syed

Iwas 9 years old when I began sketching fashion designs for abayas. I swore I would become a world-famous fashion designer (spoiler alert, this is most definitely not happening). I remember being obsessed with all things pink, glittery, and FASHUN. The way I saw things, I was an icon, and nobody could tell me otherwise. I used to ask (okay fine, force) my older sister to photograph me as I strutted down the runway *cough* I mean hallway. I felt so confident in all of my dreams, in all of the ways I imagined myself being. I lived in Dubai at the time, surrounded by hijabis doing everything: they were in the magazines, on the news, and they were all around me doing everything they dreamt of.

Things didn’t stay like that forever. When I was 13 , I moved back to California and as I became minoritized, the spark I once had faded. I no longer saw anyone like myself in any part of my world, it was as if the only place Muslims existed was on the news and that news was no good. Everyone around me was different and I was lost. As the new kid, I looked timidly at all of these kids immersed in their conversations at lunch, and decided that maybe my books would be good enough for company.

Books were my way out of awkward situations, out of lonely times, the stories I read transported me into worlds way more enjoyable than mine seemed to be. And honestly, as the years have gone by and as I’ve spoken to Muslim and POC youth, I’ve come to realize this experience is almost universal. I want nothing more than for our youth to feel represented, included, seen, I want them to know their stories matter. I want them to feel that they can be everything: they can slay dragons, go to Hogwarts, and be fashion icons. No greater gift can be given to them than a book which will hug them tight, let them know everything is going to be okay, that they are so incredibly valuable and are the main characters of their lives. I’ve reviewed some amazing stories by Muslim writers who might just be able to give this gift to you or any youngins who might need it. Enjoy!

Once Upon an Eid written by 15 Muslim writers Rating: 10/10

Synopsis:

The stories in this book perfectly capture the diverse experiences of Eid and the myriad of ways Eid looks, smells, tastes, and feels like for Muslims around the globe. However, while Eid is often a magical celebration, sometimes we need to find ways to make it special. This anthology of short stories features characters who are faced with hardships, big and small, but come to find that the glories of Eid are found in the little things: purple smiles, ka’ak cookies, and big hearts.

Favorite quote:

“I’ll take this Eid, and I’ll make it good, even if I have to do it myself, even if the memory of It sometimes hits me straight in the ribs and renders me breathless, even if my tongue stays dark as midnight without a moon.” – Taste, by Hanna Alkaf

Review:

I don’t think I have ever truly understood the value of representation in literature until I read this book. As an English major, I have read so many books that have inspired me, left me with valuable lessons, and taught me the worth of seeing things from different perspectives. The nature of literature is that it inspires empathy, the act of imagining and understanding the experiences of another.

BUT, in seeking to understand and empathize with others, I ignored a very important story: my own.

Once Upon an Eid is a story of the Muslim experience, the tests we face and the faith that guides us and pulls us through. This book features a diverse range of Muslim experiences and stories, including perspectives from converts, Asian Muslims, Black Muslims, Sunni and Shia Muslims, and many others. However different our Eids may be, the collective Muslim experience portrayed in this book felt so incredibly familiar. The characters in the stories reminded me of my own family. Their homes, fears, joys, and comforts, so much like my own. Written for middle school aged children, this is a book I could have used while growing up and am honestly grateful for, even now. I could have used a book reminding me that my hijab is beautiful even though the kids at my school may not think so, reminding me that the joys of life lie within the little things, that as the years come and go, our lives and Eids may look different, but that we are always being looked out for by our Lord and that there will always be joy—no matter how hard it may seem to find it.

Through one of the stories, you will meet young Nadia, who wakes up on a dreary morning and doesn’t feel the Eid spirit like she used to. This Eid, her mother is sick, her family is experiencing financial difficulty, and Nadia wonders, “...what makes a special day special? Today just feels like a day I don’t have to go to school because my parents said so, because they told me it’s a special day. But so far it’s been the opposite—an un-special day.” While her sick mother rests in bed and her father and siblings are out at Eid prayer, she sets out to find the familiarities of Eid she once found joy in. She manages to make her mother smile and feel beautiful, to make her father proud, and learns something so valuable in the process. “Now I know something I never ever want to forget, like I don’t ever want to forget to love purple-black: Special days start when you run toward them. So I run into the house, to the rest of this most special day.”

How to read it:

How you read a book is arguably just as important as what you read. My recommendation is to read one short story every night before bed. Your heart will be filled with warmth and love and gratitude after every story and I guarantee—it is the best way to end your night. Though I will warn you, some of these stories will leave your eyes puffy and your heart aching, so you might need to sleep on it and ponder over all of the blessings of life—the people who make life sweet and the small traditions that make days special—before you are ready to read the next story. It’s sometimes so easy to slip into the daily rituals of life that we forget to pause and reflect, and it’s in those moments of reflection where gratitude finds us. Think of this as a prescription, one short story a night will make everything alright. This book would also be an amazing read in the days before Eid—it will surely inspire some Eid traditions and get you in a warm, festive mood.

Amina’s Voice written by Hena Khan Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

In this coming-of-age middle grade novel, twelve year old Amina Khokar is navigating through a time of drastic change. Her best friend Soojin talks about changing her Korean name to a more “American” name and is starting to befriend their former nemesis, Emily, who used to make fun of the way their lunch smelled. Amina’s brother has begun the daunting transition into teenagehood and is starting to act differently. On top of this, uncle is visiting from Pakistan for a few months, and her parents have entered her into a Quran recitation competition — stage fright being her kryptonite. Most of all, Amina is beginning to slip away from her carefree younger self and begins to doubt herself and her identity. Suddenly everything becomes complicated… elementary school was a much simpler time. When the community’s masjid is vandalized, Amina finds courage through a time of immense fear and uncertainty. Surrounded with support from the community, Amina learns to appreciate her identity in its entirety, come to terms with the change around her, and find strength and confidence in her voice.

Favorite quote:

“... I belt out the words I know are true with all my might: But I know a change gonna come. Oh yes it will.

And I’m ready for it.”

Review:

Contrary to typical identity struggles depicted in the media, Amina’s voice features a book in which the main character, Amina, does not struggle with her culture or religion because she dislikes or disagrees with it. Throughout the novel, Amina admires her uncle’s melodic voice when reciting the Quran, loves meeting her friends and learning from their Imam at Sunday School, and looks up to her courageous Sunday school friend Dahlia who wears hijab at her middle school. Instead, her identity struggles stem from the unease she feels from others at school- her classmates are making fun of her cultural food, mispronouncing her name for Anemia, and pointing out her body hair (the true brown girl struggle), to name a few. This book opens a window into Islamic practices and Pakistani culture and does so in a way that informs readers about Amina’s identities and all the ways in which they make her who she is.

Middle school comes with all too many growing pains (I just know you are cringing thinking back to those times). Growing up as a minority, person of color, and Muslim add to all of these weird feelings we have and the anxieties of finding where you belong and who you are. As a young Muslim, I would have loved to know that I am not in this alone. We all encounter fear, confusion, embarrassment, and while navigating these experiences look different for us all, Amina might have inspired us that the key to finding comfort and solace is to love every part of ourselves and do so unapologetically.

Here is the caveat though: This book often caters to a white audience as it makes a valiant effort to make our experiences palatable. The scene in which Amina’s masjid is vandalized and burned lacks depth and is rushed towards the end of the novel. After their masjid is destroyed, characters in the novel make rather interesting comments about their love for America, almost in a reassuring tone — (we promise we still love this country, no terrorists here!) The novel tends to deal with issues regarding racism, hate crimes, and xenophobia with a light hand. I do, however, appreciate that the book touches on microaggressions faced by students of color, such as pressures for first generation immigrants to assimilate into American society. All in all, Amina’s Voice is a book that speaks to the collective experience that so many of us face as we grow up in America, being people of color, Muslims, or immigrants.

How to read it:

Most of our middle school years might have been filled with stress (please, nobody remind me of those awful braces or those petty fights about who stole our best friends) and maybe even with some bigger fears, it was also such a walk down memory lane for me to read the world through 12 year old Amina’s eyes. This book truly transported me back to my middle school days. It had me reading the book while hanging upside down on my bed, legs up on the wall (that was my go to reading position when I was an awkward preteen). I highly recommend reading this book wherever you feel like a child again- the swing almost every brown household has, the park you grew up playing at, or cozied up in your childhood bed.

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