Painted Hands

  I've always been a fan of multicultural and immigrant reads. When I read the synopsis to Jennifer Zobair's Painted Hands, it hit close to home and I knew I had to read it. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a chance to read an advanced reader's copy of the book.

Description (from the Publisher): Muslim bad girl Zainab Mir has just landed a job working for a post-feminist, Republican Senate candidate. Her best friend Amra Abbas is about to make partner at a top Boston law firm. Together they've thwarted proposal-slinging aunties, cultural expectations, and the occasional bigot to succeed in their careers. What they didn't count on? Unlikely men and geopolitical firestorms. 
    When a handsome childhood friend reappears, Amra makes choices that Zainab considers so 1950s--choices that involve the perfect "Banarasi "silk dress and a four-bedroom house in the suburbs. After hiding her long work hours during their courtship, Amra struggles to balance her demanding job and her unexpectedly traditional new husband. Zainab has her own problems. She generates controversy in the Muslim community with a suggestive magazine spread and friendship with a gay reporter. Her rising profile also inflames neo-cons like Chase Holland, the talk radio host who attacks her religion publicly but privately falls for her hard. When the political fallout from a terrorist attempt jeopardizes Zainab's job and protests surrounding a woman-led Muslim prayer service lead to violence, Amra and Zainab must decide what they're willing to risk for their principles, their friendship, and love.

Review: Marketed as The Namesake meets Sex in the City, Jennifer Zobair's debut novel Painted Hands is thankfully much of the former than the latter book. Though the story follows three different women's journeys, at its very heart, Painted Hands, is an exploration of what it means to be a Muslim woman in the post 9/11 world. Though I was drawn to the subject matter because I closely identify with the characters given my own personal background, I was also a bit concerned on how the characters would be written and how the tricky subject of religion is discussed. I'm happy to say that the book went beyond my expectations. I loved and cared for the characters so much that I compulsively read it in one sitting. 
  Zobair creates a cast of characters that give a wide ranging and for many a new look at Muslim-American culture from a female perspective. Within her story about navigating love and life while balancing Muslim religious and cultural beliefs with an American way of life, Zobair provides an array of characters covering the spectrum between devout followers of Islam and those who reject the beliefs of family and childhood.
   The story is very simple as it follows a group of friends for more than a year as they juggle careers, political differences, the trials and tribulations of love and prejudice. Zobair deftly captures the conflict all women face between the desire to be true to themselves and their own beliefs and the struggle to meet the expectations of family and friends. I think it's super important that Zobair made these women intelligent career women who think critically and logically for themselves and are assertive. While I may not agree with some of their decisions and/or actions, I felt the characters were authentic and not caricatures that I've met over and over again in other multicultural reads.
  Even though I was wrapped up in the lives of her characters, what kept me glued to the pages is how Islam is explored, defended, and supported in the book. Zobair's characters aren't afraid to raise questions and think outside of the traditional box. It gave me a lot to ponder. I also very much appreciated on how the characters varied in their devoutness to Islam without any suggestions of whether they are good or evil, which probes the reader to think about the Muslim identity.
  Painted Hands balances a story of women without overdoing it on the politics and religion. It allows readers to be exposed to the lesser known and good side of Muslim-American culture and the politics of being Muslim in America. Ultimately, I think the book shows that no matter the differences we share, we all are trying to achieve the same goals.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and sexual situations discussed. Recommended for mature teens and adults interested in exploring contemporary literature featuring Muslim protagonists.

If you like this book try: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee by Meera Syal

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders

  I love discovering new authors, particularly those who are from Pakistan. Daniyal Mueenuddin is an emerging Pakistani writer who debuted his collection of short stories called In Other Rooms, Other Wonders in 2009. He won the Pultizer Prize for Fiction in 2010.

Description: In collection of eight linked short stories, the lives of landowners and their workers on the Gurmani family farm in the countryside outside of Lahore, Pakistan are explored.

Review: Mueenuddin takes a critical look at the lives of several social classes in his debut collection of short stories. The eight stories explore relationships among the descendants of the super-rich Harouni farming family, living near Lahore, those who work on the farm, and those who marry (often unhappily) into it. Each stories are slices of life, giving the reader a glimpse of daily life. The stories are full with indigenous detail which had me transported to my last visit in Pakistan along with subtle understanding of their characters' complex experiences and destinies.
 No one is spared criticism and heartbreak in any of these stories. Servants use their years of loyalty working for their masters in hopes of getting support in return. Women expertly use their sensuality to ensnare a well off suitor and try to move up the social and security ladder are fatalistically ironic. Blind justice and characters who can almost grasp happiness are also recurring features in the short stories.
  Out of all the stories, my favorites are "Lily" and "Provide, Provide". In "Lily," we see the beginning of a budding and promising relationship. Just as the "honeymoon phase" is over, we began to witness its slow deterioration. "Provide, Provide," features the cunning and ambitious Zainab who insinuates herself among the Harounis, abandoning her weakling and drug addict husband to marry a well-placed household servant, only to lose everything. Mueenuddin is a very skillful and talented writer that left me wanting more. I will definitely pick up his next work.


Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language, allusion to sex, and drug use in the stories.

If you like this book try: Interpreters of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, Dubliners by James Joyce

The Photographer

  When I attended a graphic novels seminar at Northwestern University a few months ago, the panelists had all recommended to read Emmanuel Guibert's The Photographer. I knew very little about the graphic novel besides that it Chronicles the Doctors Without Borders trip to war-torn Afghanistan. After reading and reflecting upon it, I truly think that description barely touches the surface of this amazing, truly unique graphic novel that I read to this date.

Description (from inside panel): In 1986, Afghanistan was torn apart by a war with the Soviet Union. This graphic novel/photo-journal is a record of one reporter's arduous and dangerous journey through Afghanistan accompanying the Doctors Without Borders. Didier Lefèvre’s photography, paired with the art of Emmanuel Guibert, tells the powerful story of a mission undertaken by men and women dedicated to mending the wounds of war.

Review: The Photographer is not just a photography book nor a graphic novel. It is a marriage between these two genres that tell a powerful and inspiring story in the similar vein that text and illustrations do in a picture book. This documentary graphic novel brings together vivid, beautiful, and striking black and white photographs taken by Lefèvre, intimate drawings by Guibert, an organized and clear layout, and easy to read translation and introduction by Siegel.
  The year is 1986 and Afghanistan is at war with the Soviet Union. Photographer Lefèvre had volunteered to join the Médecins sans Frontières (MSF; Doctors Without Borders), to document a mission: to build a medical facility into northern Afghanistan. Along the way, he and the team of doctors, guides, and interpreters endured a physically exhausting, arduous journey, and witnessed the effects of war.  
  What makes The Photographer a stand out in the sea of graphic novels, is the combination of the black and white photographs and the illustrations that continually remind readers that this amazing and at times horrifying journey actually did occur and that the characters are indeed real people, which heightens not only our awareness but also the emotional impact of the situation. The panels are layout quite nicely and are easy to read. The narrative and dialogue do not crowd each illustrated panel and the photographs are wordless yet they speak loudly and clearly in their silence.

Here is an example from Amazon's website:

 

The humanitarian and altruistic spirit of the doctors and the resilience of the Afghanis is what keeps this graphic novel from being so depressing. Readers find out that for Afghanis, war is unfortunately nothing new to them and has become a part of their lifestyle. They take their wounds in stride and keep on living. It is heartbreaking to see how easily weapons are acquired while schools are considered a luxury and are scarce. By reading and experiencing The Photographer, we finally get a glimpse into this mysterious war-torn country that hasn't been in a severe limelight since the atrocious 9/11 attacks and try to wrap our heads around what American troops are facing in the current Afghan war.

  The Photographer challenges our thinking about war and does not attempt to provide us with any easy answers. As Lefèvre discovers, war is not very cut and dry, but multi-layered by political intrigue. The team has to work along with warlords and other dangerous people in order to reach their destination safely. The only reason why I gave this graphic 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because the middle does drag a bit.

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies and Art

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language in the graphic novel and some of the photographs of the wounded are quite gory. Recommended for high school and up.

If you like this book try: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, Waltz with Bashir by Ari Folman, or Sarajevo by Joe Kubert

Not My Cup of Tea

  Have you ever felt guilty in not liking a book that everyone has seemingly read and loved except for you? Or where you read the reviews of a book and have a high expectations for it only to be completely let down and disappointed? Well, welcome to my world. I just spent most of my weekend trudging through Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson and would like to get my hours reading back.

Description: Major Pettigrew is a very proper, English widower of 68 who resides in the quaint village of Edgecombe St. Mary in Sussex, England. He is the father of Roger, a social climber and selfish young man who feels the values of his father are archaic. The Major is also the accidental suitor of the village mini-mart owner, Jasmina Ali, a 50-something Pakistani widow who shares his love of Kipling and his company. The two of them must navigate the gossip and outright prejudice of their stilted society in order to be together.

Review: I really wanted to love this book. It has a charming setting and writing style. The Major and Mrs. Ali are both likable main characters. Despite all this, I found the book flat, slow moving, and filled with stereotypes.
    When I began this book I was intrigued on how the author is going to explain the tumultuous history between Pakistan and England, particularly of how Pakistani-British citizens are treated in contemporary England, but the book doesn't talk about the issue pretty much at all. Sure, there are misconceptions and a scene of an reenactment of the violent Partition happening at a dinner party, but the author doesn't go in depth nor do the characters really seem to care. I know this book isn't meant to be a political analysis on race relations, but when it is marketed as a (paraphrasing the book jacket): "an examination on race, religion, and a clash of cultures", the book falls flat. In fact, the majority of the story, I would argue, is not about Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali's relationship, but rather the ongoing conflict of who will own the precious pair of guns that the Major inherits.
  In addition to being mislead, I was constantly annoyed when Mrs. Ali's nationality of being a Pakistani who was born in Britain is constantly viewed as Indian. Though Pakistan and India share similarities, they are entirely two different countries with very different cultures. I was also bothered that Mrs. Ali's extended family were stereotypical Pakistanis who were rigid, ignorant, and frankly 'backwards'.
  While the Major is charming and funny, I found him caught in between preserving his old English traditions and yet at the same time willing to abandon them without any care as long as got Mrs. Ali. To be honest, I didn't care for the Major and Mrs. Ali's relationship mainly because it wasn't developed beyond small meetings between the characters. I wasn't convinced that they loved one another, but rather used one another as a way to avoid being lonely. Overall, a big disappointment and very misleading.    

Rating: 2 stars


Words of Caution: There's mild language and sex is alluded to in the book. It's definitely an adult book since the characters are adults. Teens would get very bored with the book and it's very slow moving plot.

If you like this book try: The Three Weissmann of Westport by Cathleen Schine