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Title details for Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H - Wait list

Hijab Butch Blues

A Memoir

by Lamya H
Ashraf Shirazi
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A queer hijabi Muslim immigrant survives her coming-of-age by drawing strength and hope from stories in the Quran in this “raw and relatable memoir that challenges societal norms and expectations” (Linah Mohammad, NPR).
“A masterful, must-read contribution to conversations on power, justice, healing, and devotion from a singular voice I now trust with my whole heart.”—Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed
THEM’S HONOREE IN LITERATURE • AN AUDACIOUS BOOK CLUB PICK • WINNER: The Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize, the Stonewall Book Award, the Israel Fishman Nonfiction Award • Lambda Literary Award Finalist

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, Autostraddle, Book Riot, BookPage, Harper’s Bazaar, Electric Lit, She Reads
When fourteen-year-old Lamya H realizes she has a crush on her teacher—her female teacher—she covers up her attraction, an attraction she can’t yet name, by playing up her roles as overachiever and class clown. Born in South Asia, she moved to the Middle East at a young age and has spent years feeling out of place, like her own desires and dreams don’t matter, and it’s easier to hide in plain sight. To disappear. But one day in Quran class, she reads a passage about Maryam that changes everything: When Maryam learned that she was pregnant, she insisted no man had touched her. Could Maryam, uninterested in men, be . . . like Lamya?
 
From that moment on, Lamya makes sense of her struggles and triumphs by comparing her experiences with some of the most famous stories in the Quran. She juxtaposes her coming out with Musa liberating his people from the pharoah; asks if Allah, who is neither male nor female, might instead be nonbinary; and, drawing on the faith and hope Nuh needed to construct his ark, begins to build a life of her own—ultimately finding that the answer to her lifelong quest for community and belonging lies in owning her identity as a queer, devout Muslim immigrant.
 
This searingly intimate memoir in essays, spanning Lamya’s childhood to her arrival in the United States for college through early-adult life in New York City, tells a universal story of courage, trust, and love, celebrating what it means to be a seeker and an architect of one’s own life.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 7, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593664070
      • File size: 217090 KB
      • Duration: 07:32:16

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 17, 2022
      Lamya H. debuts with a thoughtful examination of her queer South Asian identity and Islamic faith. At age 14, Lamya, who uses a pseudonym to protect her identity, first read Surah Maryam, the Quran’s chapter about the woman known in Christianity as the Virgin Mary, and felt a kinship with her, as they were both “uninterested in men.” As a young adult, Lamya moved to the United States from an unnamed Arab city in the Middle East. She encountered rampant Islamophobia at her (unnamed) American university—most painfully in queer circles that didn’t believe a gay person could be Muslim—but gradually found a community of queer Muslims who welcomed her. “This is the world fourteen-year-old me couldn’t even begin to imagine,” she writes. Through the stories of prophets accepting the wahi (a divine revelation or command), Lamya finds the joy in embracing and sharing her queer, Muslim selfhood as a wahi of her own: “It’s that glorious feeling that comes from inviting someone into your world.” The narrative is profoundly emotional, and Lamya’s determination to fight for a better world hits home: “I’m also not faithless enough to think that the direction in which I strive doesn’t matter.” This will inspire both compassion and reflection. Agent: Julia Kardon, HG Literary.

    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Former Lambda Literary Fellow Lamya H presents a powerful debut memoir, interweaving essays about her coming of age as a queer Muslim with stories found in the Quran. Each essay highlights formative moments in the author's life as she comes into her true self while navigating her faith, family of origin, and culture. Narrator Ashraf Shirazi sensitively brings together the author's fears, hopes, joys, and hardships. Shirazi's compelling narration channels the author's strength and determination as she forged her own path while remaining true to the tenets of her faith. Lamya's flair for storytelling is evident as she takes listeners through her journey, building a community of found family, and connecting with the journey of Muhammad and his earliest followers. Listeners might expect that Lamya would encounter the most resistance because she is queer, but living in the United States she finds that being Muslim is almost harder. This firsthand account of the barriers faced by Muslims in this country is eye-opening. VERDICT While this memoir addresses weighty and sometimes painful topics, the essays shine with hope for a better future and deeper understanding. Listeners will end up hoping for more from this trailblazing writer.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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