Synopsis

Allie Abraham has it all going for her—she’s a straight-A student, with good friends and a close-knit family, and she’s dating cute, popular, and sweet Wells Henderson. One problem: Wells’s father is Jack Henderson, America’s most famous conservative shock jock…and Allie hasn’t told Wells that her family is Muslim. It’s not like Allie’s religion is a secret, exactly. It’s just that her parents don’t practice and raised her to keep her Islamic heritage to herself. But as Allie witnesses ever-growing Islamophobia in her small town and across the nation, she begins to embrace her faith—studying it, practicing it, and facing hatred and misunderstanding for it. Who is Allie, if she sheds the façade of the “perfect” all-American girl? What does it mean to be a “Good Muslim?” And can a Muslim girl in America ever truly fit in?

ALL-AMERICAN MUSLIM GIRL is a relevant, relatable story of being caught between two worlds, and the struggles and hard-won joys of finding your place.

Review

If you are looking for a book that reflects the struggles of a young woman and her Muslim heritage than look no further.

The title of this book intrigued me to read the description and then grab a copy of the book to read.  I am so glad that I did because I felt for Allie and her struggles with her heritage but not really growing up as a Muslim because her parents were not religious.  I’m not really sure what the turning point was for Allie to pursue learning more about being a Muslim, but it is definitely a learning curve for her.  From praying, learning the Qur’an, to fasting during Ramadan, and learning Arabic, Allie is on a roller coaster of feelings about everything she knew in the past and what she is learning now.

I appreciated the insight into the Islamic faith and learning more about what they believe.  It also showcases Allie’s struggles with what the faith teaches (especially when it comes to dating – as in there is no dating) and trying to survive in today’s world.  I admired Allie’s willingness to stand up for her faith and heritage against bigots and even though they may have dismissed her as a child, she at least made her feelings known.

Teenagers today have a lot to deal with in our social media crazed world, I can’t imagine adding conflicting feelings when it comes to faith and family.

There is also the family dynamic as her father states that they are not religious and believe in science.  I think this also is a catalyst for pushing her towards her faith because of what she sees from her extended family when she sees them on various holidays.

This book was very educational and would be a good read for any teenager to understand that they can stand up for their faith and heritage and learning more and becoming more only benefits them.

We give this 5 paws up.

As a side note, I received a copy via Netgalley but the text message text did not appear in my eGalley.  Hopefully, this is fixed for all future eBooks.

About the Author

Nadine Jolie Courtney is the author of ALL-AMERICAN MUSLIM GIRL (FSG/2019). She is also the author of ROMANCING THE THRONE, and—under her maiden name Nadine Haobsh—BEAUTY CONFIDENTIAL and CONFESSIONS OF A BEAUTY ADDICT.

Nadine is a Circassian-American, a Muslim, and a believer that compassion and education can make the world a better place.

Nadine graduated from Barnard College and was formerly a beauty editor at Lucky and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines. As a travel, beauty, and royalty writer, her work has appeared in Town & Country magazine, Vanity Fair online, and Vogue online, and she has been profiled in Vogue, Cosmo, the New York Times, and Allure. She is a contributing writer for Angeleno magazine.

As a blonde-haired, green-eyed Muslim of Circassian descent, Nadine was raised to hide the truth about her religion, spending years hiding behind her white-passing privilege. Following the Muslim Ban, she gathered the courage to write a love letter to Islam—a book about a young girl running toward her Islamic heritage, rather than away from it. The resulting book—ALL-AMERICAN MUSLIM GIRL—is designed as a tonic for other confused or curious cross-cultural kids, eager to finally embrace their own heritage.

An avowed Anglophile, Nadine has worked for Sarah, Duchess of York, and lived in England, Argentina and Palm Beach managing Carlos Gracida, the most successful polo player in history, favorite of Her Majesty The Queen, and teammate of HRHs Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry—settings and relationships Nadine drew upon while researching and writing ROMANCING THE THRONE.

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