Coming of age books can be dicey. This was no different. I enjoyed the insights into Muslims, Pakistani and the first generation immigrant experience. I have a good friend at work who is Pakistani and described the book as close narrative of that first generation, and Muslim experience. And my conservative self could live without the coming of age sexually.
Set in Milwaukee it exposes the tensions between Muslim - Jews -Muslims / Christians and even takes time to take a misinformed inaccurate shot at Mormons.
A review in the NYTimes encapsulates a quick insight that reaches far into the book - "But what distinguishes Mr. Akhtar’s novel is its generosity and its willingness to embrace the contradictions of its memorably idiosyncratic characters and the society they inhabit. .. Mr. Akhtar is particularly adept at depicting the tensions between Jews and Muslims in pre-Sept. 11 America, and he does not shy away from mocking the misogynistic or anti-Semitic beliefs among the more radical Muslim"
'It's not so much a book about being Muslim in America as it is a story about growing up and what it means to believe in God, understand the afterlife and also what it means to follow the practices of the faith into which you are born, either by following or rejecting the teaching(s) of your parents and one boy's journey through that.' At the end of the day a good , not a great book. A book worth reading late at night when you cant sleep; but not worth staying up late at night to read.
1 comment:
i like your line "A book worth reading late at night when you cant sleep; but not worth staying up late at night to read." a clever measure.
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