We Are Not Like Them
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Not every story is black and white. Riley and Jen have been best friends since they were children,...
Race Literary Fiction Social Justice African American Black Lives Matter
The Olive Tree
Book
We were unbreakable. We were strong, and we were resilient. Just like the olive tree. Nisma...
young adult coming of age
Melanie Caldicott (6 KP) rated The Beauty of Your Face in Books
Apr 29, 2021
The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah is a poignantly written story of a Muslim Palestinian family living in America which challenges stereotypes and prejudice through rich characterisation and a moving plotline.
The novel follows the life of Afaf Rahman, beginning at the nail-biting attack of a white extremist at the Muslim high-school of which Afaf is principal. The story then begins to intersperse these dramatic present day events with flashbacks of Afaf’s past, telling us of how an equally devastating event has destructive repercussions upon her family affecting profoundly the woman Afaf has become.
When Afaf was a girl her sister disappears. Each member of the family is impacted by this differently and we see how the different emotions they experience sadly divides the home, leading each of the characters to become more and more isolated in their private, emotional turmoil, unable to share this pain with anyone else.
The emotional level of this book is deep and Mustafah skillfully draws the reader to understand the emotions of each member of the Rahman family, and we become empathetic observers of their descent to a fragmented family torn apart by their grief.
Yet the present day Afaf we meet at the beginning of the book is a strong woman of faith, who appears to be far removed from the young girl of her past. As we journey alongside her we see how her tragic life experiences are not merely deeply painful, but formative and how her Muslim faith becomes the pillar to which she is able to cling and withstand the most horrific of circumstances.
The Beauty of Your Face explores what it means to be a Muslim living in a Western country developing a narrative pursuing themes of assimilation, xenophobia, racism, identity and forgiveness. It is harrowing and shocking at times and does not balk from describing the ugliness of prejudice and racial hatred. Yet, Mustafah ultimately tells a tale of redemption and hope, showing that we can transcend these attitudes and grow instead peace, forgiveness and love.
Fanny J Crosby: An Autobiography: 2015
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The author of over 8,000 hymns that remain today at the very heart of Christian worship around the...
Lorraine Pascal - Supermodel Chef: The Unauthorised Biography
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Revealed for the first time, the truth behind TV chef Lorraine Pascale's marriage and the colorful...
Mongol
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Mongol [mong-gohl], noun, 1. a member of a pastoral people now living chiefly in Mongolia. 2....
The Politics and Poetics of Black Film: Nothing but a Man
David C. Wall and Michael T. Martin
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Written and directed by two white men and performed by an all-black cast, Nothing But a Man (Michael...
Tired of Apologizing for A Church I Don't Belong to: Spirituality Without Stereotypes, Religion Without Ranting
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Sloppy talk about the Christian religion has become an acceptable prejudice, especially on the part...
The Warrior-Prophet
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The first battle against the heathen has been won, but while the Great Names plot and squabble over...
Alternative Dispute Resolution of Shareholder Disputes in Hong Kong: Institutionalizing its Effective Use
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The landscape of shareholder dispute resolution in Hong Kong has changed vastly since the launch of...