The Muslim Cowboy

by Bruce Omar Yates

An extraordinary and mesmerising literary debut about the search for identity. In the aftermath of the Iraq war, an odd Iraqi man entranced by Americana and old Western movies dresses in double denim and roams a lawless landscape in search of his own Western story. Amidst the disorder he meets a young girl, and together they set out across the tank strewn desert on his trusty camel to find safety. Written with a simplicity of direction that captivates like a film, The Muslim Cowboy is an extraordinary and mesmerising literary debut about the search for identity, the struggle to reconcile conflicting values, and sacrifice as that great virtue we all must embrace in order to find meaning and purpose in a world of chaos.

Genres: Fiction

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2024

Reviews

[Benny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really incredible. Immensely cinematic and expressive; in very few, fragmented lines of dialogue, the presence these characters have is staggering. I had to stop reading for a week because I was so worried for them at one point. I love this take on the world of the Western - so much cowboy media feels overwrought and contrived to me, and this, in its ludicrous and whimsical adoption of western iconography, manages to repeat some of the most run-of-the-mill genre tropes in a way that feels completely original and revelatory. Using this jarring, out-of-place lens, The American is able to interpret his environment as both an insider and an outsider - I am so fascinated by the idea of him adopting a movie-cowboy identity to distance himself from the horrors of his past, going as far as pretending not to speak Arabic, despite/because of the way it totally ostracises him from his peers. I just adored and admired every aspect of this book. Really something.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

💬 “And then with a start he says, ‘In Iraq it's better not to think about friendship. The most important thing is to survive,’ and then he says, 'Friendship is bad for survival,’ and, ‘To have friends is to be attached, and after two become attached is when they can be split’.”

💭 In THE MUSLIM COWBOY, we meet ‘the American’ and his camel, Hosti, as they’re travelling to an unknown destination - sleeping rough, scavenging food, and trying their best to avoid the pockets of conflict across Iraq. ‘The American’ is very much a lone ranger, inspired by the old Western films he so adores, until one day he meets a young girl, Nadia, and together they set out to find safety.

The complex, ever-changing relationship between ‘the American’ and Nadia was beautifully written. Initially caring for her out of a sense of obligation or duty, we see ‘the American’ end up truly caring for Nadia, a blossoming friendship emerging. Despite the violence that peppers this book’s pages, there are moments of calm, as well as pure joy, shared between these two characters which were wonderful to read.

THE MUSLIM COWBOY tells the story of an unlikely friendship and survival against all odds. Yates skilfully combines many themes seen in Western films with the complex and volatile nature of post-war Iraq, creating an incredibly unique story, that I ended up thoroughly enjoying.

[Quill&Queer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story, but for me I found it lacking. The camel moaned far too much but the theme of identity and belonging kept me reading. The ending is left open for the reader to wonder what happened next, which is one of my pet peeves.

[Jack Neath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Bruce took an intriguing concept and took it far beyond a gimmick to weave both a loving homage to a genre and a beautiful, painful, nuanced evocation of a difficult country and the people who call it home. With a sparsely drawn yet perfectly rendered cast, this is a story that lingers in the back corners of your mind - one of Dead Ink's best yet.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book really would have benefitted from being longer. The premise and the idea is amazing but I think it lacked a bit of development for me.

[The Bookshop Mons · Rating 5 out of 5]

- A true western
- Two real lives
- A poetic retelling

[Jake Ivill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep a list on my phone of books to recommend when everyone inevitably asks for something to read in January. They’re usually books that move with the pace of a good film — and The Muslim Cowboy is now firmly on that list.

It’s kind of a retelling of True Grit, but set in modern-day Iraq, complete with a camel sidekick. It kicks up dust from the very first page and barely lets up. It’s fast, fun, and a genuinely enjoyable ride. It’s not the kind of book that’s going to change your life, but it’s exactly the sort of thing you’re glad to have tucked away, ready to dip into whenever you’ve got a spare few minutes.

Also, pretty sure this is the first book I’ve ever read where the main character vapes? Weird thing to start to see on page, but still I guess even fictional characters are ditching cigarettes now. Lame.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting concept, marrying together old Western movies with the sweeping landscape of Iraq and the post-war horrors. I don't much like Western movies, and so the movie descriptions were a bit lost on me. However I loved the concept, the imagery of the landscape and the constant threat of the Ali Baba's or others that will cause them harm. Once absorbed in the book I appreciated the lyrical language and found "The American" such an interesting character.

A fitting ending in my opinion, there's no happily ever after but that wouldn't have fitted a book set in Iraq at this time.

[Hayley Forrester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to preface this review by saying I really enjoyed the story of this book, and there were points where I was brought to tears. It’s so cinematic and descriptive I could picture some scenes as if they were a movie. That being said, it also felt unnecessarily hard to read. Why such long sentences? Maybe it’s some literary technique used to built tension that I’m too dumb to understand? If so, for me it had the opposite effect. I had to keep starting sentences again to process what was actually being said. If it wasn’t for that it would be 4 stars from me.

[Seth Tomko · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. The premise is intriguing, but the book fails in its execution. I'll describe the style in one word: tedious. The novel wastes a lot of time on dramatized routine and spends pages summarizing the plot of multiple Westerns to limited effect.

The best character is Hosti, the camel.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an intriguing read. I could really imagine the settings and the characters. Different from my usual reads.

[Anna W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved it, great writing as I felt I watch a film! Can’t wait for it to become an actual film 😁

[Steff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written book, lovely cinematic imagery and the building of the characters.

Took a bit of time to get into the book itself.

Would recommend!

[Ginny Darke · Rating 2 out of 5]

You had me at vaping cowboy. You also lost me at vaping cowboy

[Joss Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

simple yet rich storytelling, covering place and space with an effective pacing to the narrative

compelling characters with a neatly tied threads and emotional depth overlayed throughout

[Samvimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich mochte das cineastische Setting und die Western-Romantik, die aber manchmal zum Karl-May-Kitsch verkommt (der zuerst die Idee hatte, einen Westernhelden durch den Irak reiten zu lassen).