I clearly remember the feeling I had when I watched Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TedTalk about the dangers of a single story; she discussed reading about girls with blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, and how these girls eventually became the characters of the stories she wrote.
The next stop in my literary travels was Sudan, with the author Leila Aboulela and her collection of short stories, Elsewhere, Home. Each story was from a different perspective, but most had to do with how Islam is viewed by others, and how Muslims view themselves in an international setting. Sometimes, a sprinkling of Arabic would be woven into the narrative, beautiful words that are so familiar to me, making me feel like this book was written just for me.
But these characters were not like her.
Girls Like Me
Part of the reason I wanted to do a literary journey around the world was because I wanted to read about characters who I could connect with in a more meaningful way. I am not going to delve deeply into my own past, because that is not what this blog is about, but I will say that this journey has meant a great deal to me. Reading about characters from Arab speaking countries, or people with similar traditions and experiences in immigrating to North America as my own family, has caused me to see a wider picture of the world, and of myself.
The next stop in my literary travels was Sudan, with the author Leila Aboulela and her collection of short stories, Elsewhere, Home. Each story was from a different perspective, but most had to do with how Islam is viewed by others, and how Muslims view themselves in an international setting. Sometimes, a sprinkling of Arabic would be woven into the narrative, beautiful words that are so familiar to me, making me feel like this book was written just for me. Straight to the Point
One of the benefits of writing in the short story format is that you can get straight to the point; no beating around the bush here, you can show your audience exactly why your characters feel a certain way, and why that is important. This was extremely beneficial for Aboulela's stories, as she gave us multiple perspectives of the Islamic faith in a way that should help readers to appreciate the beauty in the religion, as well as the differences of the individuals who practice Islam.
Many of Aboulela's short stories were about Muslim women, and how they desire to celebrate their religion despite how others in their life (mostly men) want them to. I am not a Muslim, but I loved how she gave me insight into the minds of women who wanted to follow the traditions of Islam, as well as those who wished to practice in a way that adapts more to Western culture. My personal favourites were "The Ostrich" and "Pages of Fruit." I loved every minute of reading this book, and give it 4.5/5 stars!
Here's the question for today: Do books help you to broaden your perspective of the world? Let me know in a comment below, in an email (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm).
Many of Aboulela's short stories were about Muslim women, and how they desire to celebrate their religion despite how others in their life (mostly men) want them to. I am not a Muslim, but I loved how she gave me insight into the minds of women who wanted to follow the traditions of Islam, as well as those who wished to practice in a way that adapts more to Western culture. My personal favourites were "The Ostrich" and "Pages of Fruit." I loved every minute of reading this book, and give it 4.5/5 stars!
Here's the question for today: Do books help you to broaden your perspective of the world? Let me know in a comment below, in an email (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm).
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