With the anniversary of 9/11 coming up I find many people are interested in Muslims living in the United States. Some people are curious, others are worried. In the research for my book, Reprisal, I read biographies of American citizens who are Muslims and befriended several Muslim Americans in my own town, Minneapolis. I was amazed at what I learned. You would be fascinated.
What is it like to live in America if you’re Muslim?
I have three books to recommend.
1. The Submission by Amy Waldman. Just published, she’s a colorful wordsmith and you will enjoy the sound of her words through original metaphors and similes. Her fiction story is about a 9/11 commission in 2003 in New York that takes blind submissions from architects to design a memorial for the 9/11 victims. To their surprise, the jury selects a design that has been submitted by an American citizen who is a Muslim. The reaction of the jurors and some of their efforts to get the selection changed or get the applicant to withdraw his plan create a fascinating look at people’s reactions. The book also explores the wider effects and how various politicians and lobbying groups take advantage of the situation for their own ends. The book is well-written with tension growing as the pressure on the jury intensifies. I think the climax of the book came too early or perhaps, should have been the end, which leads to a weak and disappointing ending for me. Still, the questions raised and Ms. Waldman’s objective and respectful treatment toward all the character and their attitudes, is well done.
2. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. This is a mystery told in first person by a Pakistani who was selected to attend Princeton, gets a great job in New York, and decides his work making tons of money conflicts with his fundamental beliefs and values. The book is a conversation between the author and a mysterious stranger whom the author meets at a cafe in Pakistan. The author tells the story of how and why he came to the U.S. It’s a great look at the way people are torn between material success and their deeper values of peace and compassion for others. The author both loves and hates the U.S. for some valid reasons. There is a love interest in an American woman that the author pursues but loses in the end. The end of the story contains a surp that makes sense after you look back at the story and see how Hamid has planted the clues. I won’t spoil it for you. Good writing and good symbolism used to foreshadow the surprise climax.
3. Reprisal by Colin T. Nelson. I know…a cheap shot trying to push my own book!! I won’t say much except that my main character is an American citizen and a progressive, moderate Muslim. She is a Public Defender and is forced to defend an accused murderer who is an Islamic extremist. Her struggle to represent him in spite of the fact he stands for everything she hates about how a few people have high-jacked the religion for violent purposes also mirrors her struggle to be a loyal American and, at the same time, a faithful Muslim. It’s a suspense thriller that will have you turning pages as fast as you can read.
