Cut From the Same Cloth?: Muslim Women on Life in Britain

by Sabeena Akhtar

Do you wear that at home? Where are you really from? Does he make you wear that? Do you support acts of terror? Do you believe in British values ? Can I see your hair? Do you have equality? Are you hot in that? Can you be a feminist? Why don t you just take it off? Do you wear that in the shower? Are you oppressed?

From modern pop culture to anti-Blackness, faith and family, politics, education, creativity and working life; this anthology gives visibly Muslim women creatives a space to speak to the matters that mean most to them.

SPOILER We won t be answering the usual questions!

Perceived as the visual representation of Islam, hijab-wearing Muslim women are often harangued at work, at home and in public life yet are rarely afforded a platform on their own terms. Whether it s awkward questions, radical commentators sensationalising our existence, non-Muslims and non-hijabis making assumptions, men speaking on our behalf, or stereotypical norms being perpetuated by the same old faces, hijabis are tired.

Cut from the Same Cloth?  seeks to tip the balance back in our favour. Here, twenty-one middle- and working-class women of all ages and races look beyond the tired tropes, exploring the breadth of our experience and spirituality. It s time we, as a society, stop with the hijab-splaining and make space for the women who know .

Essays by Aisha Rimi, Asha Mohamed, Fatha Hassan, Fatima Ahdash, Hodan Yusuf, Khadijah El Shayyal, Khadijah Rotimi, Mariam Ansar, Negla Abdalla, Raisa Hassan, Rumana Lasker Dawood, Ruqaiya Haris, Sabeena Akhtar, Shaista Aziz, Sofia Rehman, Sophie Williams, Suhaiymah Manzoor Khan, Suma Din, Sumaya Kassim, Yvonne Ridley, Zara Adams.

Genres: Nonfiction, Islam, Feminism, Essays, Muslimah, Muslims, Anthologies

Paperback

First published May 27, 2021

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab a cup of tea and pull up a chair. Ask the person sitting opposite you "What's important to you?" and LISTEN. That's how this book felt to me. I don't want to call the pieces here "essays" or "articles" - that would give the impression of dryness or being lectured, and they are far from that. Each piece is written with an honesty that I found personally empowering. They made me laugh or cry... sometimes both in the same piece. I found myself nodding in agreement or saying "Oh, I see now" and, yes, I had some questions answered. "Cut From the Same Cloth?" should be required reading for everyone.
I'd like to end my review by saying a huge THANK YOU to each and every author who contributed. Much respect to you, ladies.

This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion. My thanks to RandomTTours

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Whatever you fight, you strengthen. Whatever you resist, persists. When we work hard to humanise ourselves, the battle is already lost.

Once upon a time the sahabah used to say, 'Look at the Muslims and you will know Islam'; and now we run from this and say, 'Islam is unflawed, look at Islam, do not look at us.'

An absolutely beautiful collection of essays celebrating the range of experiences and opinions of British Muslim women (crucially, and unlike another, similar collection I could name, ahem, within the fold of Islam.)

Even though not all the authors practice Islam the exact same way I do, and I didn’t always agree with absolutely everything in all the essays, I still related to aspects of all of them, and every single one still had something valuable to say, or that made me think – not to mention several which made me cry (in public).

Some essays deal more directly with Islam and Muslims; others are more focussed on issues like politics and colonialism (many, of course, are a combination of both!), but all bring different perspectives, and they’re so wide ranging in the topics they touch on. Of course bigotry is a common theme – whether that’s Islamophobia, racism/anti-Blackness/colourism, misogyny, ableism, or the intersections of them all, but there’s also motherhood, faith, family, community, and so much more.

Standout essays were:
- 'Youth in the Time of Madrassahs' by Mariam Ansar, a beautiful reflection on raising Muslim children in the West
- 'Grenfell', by Shaista Aziz in conversation with Zahra Adams, a devastating eyewitness account of the Grenfell Tower disaster, and thoughts on how it served to underline the Islamophobia and racism in Britain
- 'On Therapy' by Sophie Williams, about the mental burden of Prevent, and how difficult it makes getting help for mental illness
- 'Riot, Write, Rest: On Writing as a Muslimah' by Sumaya Kassim, on the power of words as a tool of resistance
- ''Arabic-Speaking': Liberal Racism and Translating Trauma in the Human-Rights Sector' by Fatima Ahdash, on the racism and neo-colonialism that is still baked into the human rights sector
- 'Dirty Melanin, Precious Melanin: Bilal was Black' by Negla Abdalla, one of several vitally important essays on anti-Blackness both within and without the Muslim community

Minus half a star for a couple of questionable assertions in one or two of the essays, but overall a really worthwhile and valuable read!

As silent, invisible beings, Muslim women serve specific political purposes: we make mainstream feminists feel good about being liberated; we make secular liberals feel progressive; we provide anti-Islamic media outlets and YouTubers with plenty of revenue, and an excellent excuse for the government to commit all manner of crimes in the name of saving us.

Alternative futures are not possible if we remain merely answers, we have to be God-conscious questions, refusing to submit to any other power, and thus exposing every other power that asserts its inevitability.

Once upon a time someone persuaded the UK government that Islam is a spectrum, from casual to practising to extremist.

The irony is that when people ask me what I miss about my pre-Muslim life, they assume it'll be something that I 'sacrificed' for Islam, like bacon or beer or bikinis... What I miss is the freedom to navigate my life without constantly worrying that the assumptions of strangers or the state might destroy it.

Do not be afraid to discuss these issues out of fear that the non-Muslim community may judge us or speak negatively of us more than it already does. Our honour does not lie with mankind, it lies with Allah and thus we must remember His rulings and the teachings given to us through the Qur'an, hadith and the Prophets throughout time. Do not silence a part of our Muslim community just to please others.

You can't convince someone to care if they don't. You can't give them your blinking eyes, your beating heart, if they're proud of their own. If they can't see those organs as the same as theirs, anyway.

I have white privilege, I grew up in it, and with that privilege, I was taught to seek help, and to know help is there for me, no questions asked. When I seek help, I won't be asked de-humanising questions, I won't be maligned or belittled, what I say will be taken at face value because this is what white privilege is.

I cannot be read in parts. I will be read in my totality.

CW: Islamophobia, hate crimes, violence, racism, colonialism, anti-Blackness, misogyny, ableism

[Humaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic anthology of essays and women’s experiences of being British Muslim.

I learned a lot from each of the writers in this book and I would highly recommend it.

[iina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great essay collection about what it’s like to be a Muslim woman in Britain in this day and age!

Thank you to Unbound for sending me a review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book as its essays span a variety of topics from career, social media, Covid-19 and Grenfell to dating, modesty, racism, and family life. The book isn’t secular/purely cultural in nature as all the authors are practicing Muslims, but they also do not focus on religion in the stereotypical way (ie. answering stupid questions about the hijab etc…) and have a range of backgrounds from different ethnicities to converts to the faith as well as those who grew up Muslim. Would absolutely recommend this to everyone!

[Kirsty Mcdougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best anthologies I’ve ever read.

Each essay is so thoughtful and layered. You have to pause after each to take it in and feel it. One of the contributors said everyone poured their hearts into their contributions and you really feel that as a reader.

The only problem with this book is expressing how much it means to have experienced reading it. I highly recommend reading this book and reflecting on the beautiful words of each contributor.

[Saima · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 stars.

RTC.

[Aisha (thatothernigeriangirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a brilliant collection!
I enjoyed reading every single essay in this book. They were all thought provoking and —most importantly— covers VERY diverse topics.

A loud testament to the heterogeneity of Muslim women; an unabashed ‘NO’ to the question the title poses.

I only gave it 4 stars because some of the essays would have come out better with more rigorous editing. The extra words made it difficult to read through some of them once.
Overall, highly recommend this one 👏🏾

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few people more marked and demarcated, presumed and assumed abut than those women we now label ‘visibly Muslim’, those whose dress includes the markers of modesty we call hijab or niqab. Not only are they often the most obviously Muslim people, they are also often the subjects of gendered social, cultural, symbolic, and physical violence, pitied and despised, held in contempt and claimed as those in need of saving from patriarchal oppression by Orientalist and Islamophobes. All too often they are also the most silenced, by patriarchs at home – as many women are – and many who claim allyship.

All this makes this impressive collections of essays all the more welcome. These are essays grappling with faith, with being seen as problematic, with questions of home, of social networks, of professional lives and expectations, of pandemic experience, of colourism, of modesty, of being citizens of a digital era, and more. Each I found insightful, granting me a view of world that is very different to mine, but two stood out most especially. Lawyer Fatimah Ahdash unpacks the question of being an Arabic speaker in human rights organisations, where in many cases those staff get stuck in fieldwork, translation, and related areas with leadership, policy, and advocacy roles taken on by others. A crucial part of this exclusion she highlights is the way much of that field and case work means engaging with issues and people that are traumatic – so not only are those Arabic speakers marginalised, they are also the subjects of failures of a duty of care in terms of their well-being.

The other powerful piece for me is by Shasta Aziz and Zahra Adams, about living next door to Grenfell Tower, about friends who died in the fire, about worry and helplessness on the night, children and not opening the curtains that look out onto the hulk that it now is. Whereas Ahdash’s piece critiqued liberal human rights work, this essay is embedded in the everyday world an inescapable trauma.

Lest it sound like this is a collection of grief-ridden essays, others are more refreshing. Khadijah Elshayyal writes powerfully about the communality of Ramadhan during Covid times, Sofia Rehman of the richness of looking both ways, and Sumaya Kassim of the negotiation of space to write in, through, and around efforts to silence and deny voice. Grief-ridden these essays are not – but they are essays of struggle, exploring the diversity of British Muslim women’s voices and experiences, making them all the more valuable and all the more essential in these times. Highly recommended.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant and provocative for all the right reasons.
Although this is a series of essays from multiple authors, it felt wonderfully connected between each submission.

[Sanah Mehnaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cut from the same cloth is an anthology of essays written by 20 Muslim women exemplifying the diversity of voices and experiences of Muslim women in the UK.

This anthology brings together a variety of Muslim women from varying professions, ethnicities etc. to write about what they want. It has given Muslim women space to write what they think is important through their unique perspectives. The essays cover many topics such as Islamophobia, prevent, orientalism, Eurocentrism, colonialism, racism, decolonisation, gender justice, diaspora community identity struggles, and a lot of courageous and generous expressions of vulnerabilities.

The essays come together to produce an emotive and urgent collection. Some essays may make you laugh and others will make you cry. This is a fantastic diverse collection!

I thoroughly enjoyed each essay and have learnt and appreciated something from all of them. But my favourites were written by Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, Fatima Ahdash, Sofia Rehman, Hodan Yusuf, Suma Din and Sabeena Akhtar.

Suhaiymah’s article is an education on the politics of questioning. ‘Alternative futures are not possible if we remain merely answers, we have to be God-conscious questions’! As Muslim women, we are not the answer and must refuse to give one!

Fatima exposes the reality of human rights organisations as deeply alienating and hostile environments and the struggles of translating trauma which could feel like betrayal at times. I greatly appreciated learning about her experiences.

Sofia’s essay is spiritually uplifting! She beautifully writes about Quran chapter 58 al-Mujadilah ‘She who disputes’, centring the female role. ‘We find in her the audacity to question and the courage to call out, to remain steadfast and to be optimistic of change, even when conditions seem severely restricted.’ Sofia stresses how these verses cannot only be intended to rectify the specific sixth-century Arabian practice of divorce but all forms of gender injustice. Her essay is a wake-up call on why we must be agents ‘for the establishment of justice’ because if we do not speak up it is our own community members who will bleed!

There is so much more I could write about all the essays and especially my favourites.

Overall this is a much need beautiful collection of essays.


.

[Agirlandabook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perceived as the visual representation of Islam, hijab-wearing Muslim women are often harangued at work, at home and in public life yet are rarely afforded a platform on their own terms. Cut from the Same Cloth? seeks to tip the balance back in their favour. 21 middle- and working-class women of all ages and races look beyond the tired tropes, exploring the breadth of their experience and spirituality.

What I particularly liked about this anthology is that there was not preset brief or direction provided to those wishing to contribute other than write what you wish to say. This has resulted in a wide range of topics covered within the collection and it is clear that the chosen subject had a deep and visceral connection to each author who articulated their words with passion and purpose.

I was going to list a few of the pieces which were (for want of a better word) my favourite but as I refreshed my memory of the contents page to compile said list it felt an impossible task. Each essay has its own strength and message to deliver in not including one it felt I was doing that author a disservice and the Instagram word count would not allow me to say much else if I was to list all 21 essays. I will say however On Therapy broke my heart in so many ways.

I am aware this book’s primary intention was not to educate, it was to provide a platform and amplify women’s voices who wished to speak about their experience of being a British Muslim Woman in today’s world. However as with all books and especially true with anthologies I did learn a huge amount from reading these essays and the accompanying glossary. It challenged and highlighted my own understanding forcing me to reflect and reevaluate the potential bias I may have unconsciously held through stereotyping in the media coupled with a lack of knowledge.

I will be strongly recommending this book to anyone who will listen to me.

[Humairah Jamil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cut From The Same Cloth holds space for a diverse range of visibly Muslim women and allows them to speak from their own experience of being Muslim and woman in a society where this combination is often looked at disapprovingly. Muslim women are weary from constantly having other people who haven’t walked in their shoes, dictate and explain to everyone their lived realities. This book is a collective voice of hope and healing from relentless misconceptions and misconstrued notions of our faith and our people. Although these stories are submitted by Muslim women in Britain, most of the issues surfaced are universal e.g. racism, colourism, misogyny, Islamophobia, which are relatable to me and where I’m from; the South East Asian context and diaspora.

As a Muslim woman, I feel seen and empowered reading these essays, knowing that we are not alone and that we still hold the agency to take hold of our narrative and that we are definitely not cut from the same cloth — we are diverse, multi-faceted, dynamic, fabulous, unique, and valuable with so much to offer in the eyes of Allah and people. Let’s celebrate the timelessness of our faith, our principles, and what makes us strange, indispensable and unabashedly brilliant in this world.

[Alex Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The indelible mark that a book can leave on one’s heart, mind and consciousness is the real gift that each author offers in a piece of great writing. Every essay within this collection I read with gratitude, for the learning and insight it offered me. ‘Cut From The Same Cloth’ is an anthology of essays from 21 Modern Muslim women living in Britain today. It takes an enormous amount of bravery, strength, dignity, and eloquence to raise one’s voice and be heard, against a plethora of systems in society which often attempt to insidiously discredit your voice and the assertion of your human rights, by only ever interpreting your contribution through the lens of their own prejudice or misunderstanding. The women who told their stories in this work have smashed meaningfully through this barrier to offer an incredible contribution and insight.

The anthology deals with powerful issues around feminism, inclusion, faith, representations of Islam, family life, life in conflict zones (including the horrors and genocidal atrocities currently occurring in Gaza), education, professional life, disability, racism, human rights, class structures, societal prejudice, the need to write as an outlet for one’s voice, and the strength and beauty that can be found in the Islamic religion. All these elements are rolled into the very honest and brave snapshot each of the women offers into their lives.

Often delivered with an enormous amount of humour and pathos, I would recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who wants a better understanding of modern society in Britain.

[Imogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful and powerful book, each chapter significantly important. The British Muslim women writers holding this written space throughout this anthology ‘Cut from the Same Cloth’ hold the power in the words they write and choose to share with us. Each essay we are taken into each writer’s own written space, with topics which they choose and wish to share and explore. So much is covered in all their essays, each essay unique and to be listened to. Thank you so much to Sabeena Akhtar, Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, Asha Mohamed, Sophie Williams, Negla Abdalla, Khadijah Elshayyal, Ruqaiya Haris, Fatima Ahdash, Sofia Rehman, Mariam Ansar, Aisha Rimi, Hodan Yusuf, Suma Din, Rumana Lasker Dawood, Shaista Aziz, Zahra Adams, Yvonne Ridley, Khadijah Rotimi, Raisa Hassan, Fatha Hassan, and Sumaya Kassim for writing and sharing with us, I am really grateful to be able to read each of your essays and listen to everything each of you have to say.

[Berenice · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing and informative anthology of essays on Muslim women conditions and deeper thoughts in Britain. I emerged myself completely in each of these women’s story and learn or relearn so many things about Islam and women from a western gaze and how ostracised they are because of their appearance.
I strongly recommend this book to everyone.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝗖𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵
𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗔𝗸𝗵𝘁𝗮𝗿

A huge thank you to @annecater14 @beena_books and @unbounders for my #gifted copy for #randomttours

From modern pop culture to anti-Blackness, faith and family, politics, education, creativity and working life; this anthology gives visibly Muslim women creatives a space to speak to the matters that mean most to them.

SPOILER ALERT: We won't be answering the usual questions!

Perceived as the visual representation of Islam, hijab-wearing Muslim women are often harangued at work, at home and in public life yet are rarely afforded a platform on their own terms. Whether it s awkward questions, radical commentators sensationalising our existence, non-Muslims and non-hijabis making assumptions, men speaking on our behalf, or stereotypical norms being perpetuated by the same old faces, hijabis are tired.

Cut from the Same Cloth seeks to tip the balance back in our favour. Here, twenty-one middle- and working-class women of all ages and races look beyond the tired tropes, exploring the breadth of our experience and spirituality. It s time we, as a society, stop with the hijab-splaining and make space for the women who know.

Essays by Aisha Rimi, Asha Mohamed, Fatha Hassan, Fatima Ahdash, Hodan Yusuf, Khadijah El Shayyal, Khadijah Rotimi, Mariam Ansar, Negla Abdalla, Raisa Hassan, Rumana Lasker Dawood, Ruqaiya Haris, Sabeena Akhtar, Shaista Aziz, Sofia Rehman, Sophie Williams, Suhaiymah Manzoor Khan, Suma Din, Sumaya Kassim, Yvonne Ridley, Zara Adams.

I don't usually read much non-fiction books, but when I saw this book I just had to sign up for the tour. Firstly the book is just so eye-catching and really draws you in, if I was in a bookstore and saw it on a shelf, I'd of gone straight to it. Secondly, this anthology is just remarkable and also heartbreaking at the same time. This anthology isn't particularly here to educate you, more for these 21 muslim women to have a platform to speak out about their feelings and experiences of being a Bristish Muslim woman. Yet even though it's a platform for just that, I couldn't help but learn from each woman. It challenged my understanding of Muslim women, it made me realise some of my unconscious bias I had, and also made me really reevaluate myself too.
There is a glossary at the back of this book that was extremely helpful as I read each essay, and I'm grateful that there was one put in.
Each essay was important and hard hitting, you can feel and see each womens emotion. The feelings that poured out of these women was completely raw and honest. All of the essay's hit me hard, but there were a couple that really made my brain go full circle, and think oh my gosh this is so true. The essay Hidden written by Asha Mohamed really was interesting. She was talking about history and how it is taught to us and how Africa is portrayed. It hit me as I remember my history lessons (was a fave subject of mine) and everything Asha said made absolutely so much sense. On Therapy by Sophie Williams was another essay that left me gobsmacked and horrified. I even shed a tear, I just cannot understand or fathom why white people are so prejudice. I wish I could detail all 21 essay's because each of them just opened my eyes.

If there is a book you need to read for 2021, it is this. Each author is being honest, open and finally have a safe platform to share their experiences, challenges and messages that they want to get out there. This is a vital book to be read and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to do just that.

[Khairun Atika · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We unmute the voices of our sisters by giving ear to their words, by taking the time and energy to seek them out and read their works for ourselves, and then to start talking with one another; and then, finally, to embody the practice of Islam we wish to see manifested. And all of this takes courage, because nothing is more resisted than change." - The Gift of Second-Sight by Sofia Rehman, from Cut from the Same Cloth: Muslim Women on Life in Britain, edited by Sabeena Akhtar

Cut from the Same Cloth is an illuminating and insightful collection of essays written by remarkable Muslim women in Britain. While this book promotes diversity in the form of representation of Muslim women, it delves deeper by focusing on the diversity of Muslim women itself. Muslim women from Pakistan, Nigeria and even Somalia, who find solace and life in Britain. While their experiences are vast and meaningful, there is a common factor in all of these essays - the struggle of living as a Muslim woman in Britain.

The identity of a Muslim woman is always a point of discussion. From her supposed constant submissiveness to her male counterparts, to her expected meek behaviour, and the hijab on her head. The women in the essays here explain about the significance, intent and impact of the hijab. Some are empowered, while some are weakened due to its repercussions - of being discriminated and even incriminated for showing their faith. The accounts in this book highlights the perception of the masses towards Muslim women, which usually shows how they struggle to be accepted in the community, and not to be stereotyped based on the internalised colonialism in the country.

I loved how the essays marked various issues faced by the Muslim women in different voices. There is the voice of a wistful woman yearning for a safe space in her community. There is the voice of someone angered for being stereotyped due to being a Muslimah with a disability. There is the voice of a confused young woman who is expected to flourish in a relationship when she had no prior interaction with men. Ultimately, this collection of essays is an outlet for Muslim women to find their place in their world, to be given a space to voice out their grievances and to share their aspirations with the world. What makes this even more heartwarming is the constant reference to the Quran and the hadith, which reflects the faith that these women possess and strive to hold on to in their struggle to find a place in this chaotic world.

We simply want to create our own narrative, and to conform to the misrepresentation in mass media. We want to tell the world of our origins, our stories and our legacies, just like any other woman in the world.

[Sadia reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Cut From the Same Cloth, I felt a heaviness, unlike anything I have ever felt before. As a Muslim woman, who wears the hijab, I am aware of the struggles we face; the weird stares, the exclusion, the ‘do you shower with that on’ questions. What shocked me was how in a short amount of words so many feelings were conveyed. All written in different styles and tones, each story was honest, emotional, and difficult to read. Often seen as the visual representation of Islam, hijab-wearing Muslim women are often discriminated against and hardly have a platform on their terms.

This anthology includes twenty-one Muslim women who speak of their experiences in a raw and unfiltered manner. Each story deals with powerful issues, such as the representation of Islam, life in a conflict zone, racism, anti-blackness, disability, and human rights. Sumaya Kassim highlights the importance of the need to write as a channel for one’s voice which is something we all need reminding. It takes immense courage and articulateness to raise one’s voice against a system that will often try to discredit your voice. Muslim women stories are often heard through those who see Muslim women through their prejudice and misunderstanding. The admirable contributors who told their stories have broken barriers and offered a real insight into what it truly means to be a Muslim woman.

However, this book is not limited to the experiences of Muslim women only. There is an experience that we can all relate to; whether it be the world of social media, the anxiety from the Grenfell tower fire and the Covid-19 pandemic, each essay is an experience that is either similar or different to my own.

Before this reading this anthology, I assumed Muslim women had to break stereotypes to excel. However, my mind has changed as ‘stereotypes do not exist to be broken, they exist to break us.’ The power this anthology holds is immeasurable – rarely can I say a book has changed my life but Cut From the Same Cloth has made a positive difference to my life. I hold the utmost respect for each woman included in this anthology.

[Sinead Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cut From the Same Cloth gently took my hand and guided me through the world of Muslim women of different ethnic backgrounds and ages in Britain. There are so many, actually too many, misconceptions about Islam and people who identify as Muslim, especially around the niqab, hijab and burqa. I grew up in an area with a large south Asian Muslim community and therefore felt like I knew a bit already and would dismiss and try to shut down conversations which I felt were perpetuating stereotypes around Muslim women. However, these beautifully written, honest essays by Muslim women has opened my eyes to the mound of abuse, exploitation, misogyny and judgment Muslim women, in particularly black Muslim women, face from those outside and within their communities, as well as the joy and peace their religion brings them. It is so heart warming. The essays which resonated with me most were:
- On Therapy by Sophie Williams
- 4091 Miles Away From Home by Aisha Rimi
- Grenfell by Shaista Aziz in conversation with Zahra Adams
- Waiting to Exhale by Hodan Yusuf

[Attia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking...

I read this book as a December read for our book club. In all honesty, it isn't a book I would usually read or a topic that I am overly interested in (despite being a brown hijabi living in the UK🙈), however, I have found this book has made some important points, and brought up topics/issues that need to be addressed within society as a whole and in particular the Muslim community. Some of the important topics addressed in this book by the authors include, racism, colourism, misogyny, mysogynoir (new one for me!), discrimination within the workplace and so much more. It isn't a light read, but an important thought provoking one. It highlighted the lived experiences of the authors which all contributed to answering the question asked in the title of the book 'Cut from the same cloth?'.

[Hayley (Shelflyfe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today is my spot on the blogtour for 𝗖𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵; 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 - a collection of essays edited by Sabeena Akhtar. Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours and Unbound for having me along and for sending me a copy of the book.
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𝗜 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗷𝗮𝗯 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵.
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Cut from the Same Cloth was a very informative book, as is often the case with collections of essays that depict the lived experiences of those penning them.
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𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝗷𝗮𝗯, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 - 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗯𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝘆, 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗯𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗻. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.
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Though the intention is not necessarily to educate readers, in the sense that these women are not speaking for all women, or all Muslims, and their experiences in some cases are quite different, there is no doubt that I have learned a lot from reading this book.
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𝗔𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 [𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻] 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝟯𝟳𝟱% 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲, 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗲
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There are elements of feminist history, and distortions of true history in general, that I had no prior knowledge of before reading Cut From the Same Cloth. It has definitely made me see things from a new perspective.
For example, I had no idea about the Mercator projection, which makes northern, wealthier countries appear bigger instead of being in scale to other countries. Cartographers make reference to 'The Greenland Problem'; even though Greenland is fourteen times smaller than Africa, they are depicted as the same size due to the Mercator projection.
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𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲?
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Cut from the Same Cloth stood out to me in comparison with other essay collections I've read - partly due to the variety of stories shared, but also due to the sincere and emotional nature of these accounts.
I'm not Muslim, and I can't possibly fully appreciate or understand the experiences of the authors throughout the book, but I did find myself recognising some of the same frustrations that I've felt in trying to encourage change.
Last year I wrote to my MP about the school curriculum, and queried how we could encourage this to change, but ultimately I had to acknowledge how corrupt and racist a lot of the systems and establishments in Britain still are; it feels like we need a lot of reform and overhaul in order to enact the changes we need to see.
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𝗨𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 '𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆' 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗣𝘀 𝗼𝗳 '𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀' 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 - 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
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One message that I took from the book is that it is our responsibility as individuals to educate ourselves, instead of simply ingesting the news without question. And it isn't appropriate to expect others to do the work for us.
I truly feel that to be an ally, you cannot be passive; you have to put in the work and remain open to learning, and challenging where appropriate.
One thing I don't know enough about, and which was mentioned throughout the book several times, is the Prevent Strategy. I will be making an effort to go away and learn more about this, and suspect it will be another thing to write to my local MP about.
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𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀. 𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻? 𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗼?
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Many of the accounts shared in Cut from the Same Cloth are emotive, and many made me feel both angry and sad. Though unfortunately, living in post-Brexit Britain, I wasn't surprised by the accounts shared.
Some of the narratives in particular, especially the one relating to Grenfell Tower and the continuing lack of justice for the lives lost, reemphasised the need for structural reform and a dismantling of the racist and classist systems at play in Britain today.
My heart goes out to the families and communities who were, and who continue to be, impacted by this completely avoidable tragedy.
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𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆. 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁, 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀.
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I would urge people to read Cut from the Same Cloth, whether to hear and appreciate these womens' perspectives, or to find common ground and a kindred spirit in these accounts.
It is of benefit to us all to seek out each other's stories, and to learn, in an effort to better support each other in the society we want to create and shape.

[Zainab · Rating 5 out of 5]

20 perspectives
20 voices
20 experiences

No two people are the same, no two Muslim women are the same.
We come in all shapes, sizes, colors and from many different walks of life.

“Cut from the same cloth” is an anthology of twenty voices.
Twenty personal writings from the heart.

Raw and real.

Complete review up on: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUD5kgws5Wa/
Cut from the Same Cloth?: Muslim Women on Life in BritainSabeena Akhtar

[Ash Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays from Muslim women charting their experiences of living in Britain. Covering the impact of the news and politics on daily racism, Grenfell and how it’s not just about representation but about destroying old systems which do not serve everyone in the country.

I don’t vibe with organised religion - but it was definitely refreshing to read about it from the women’s within its perspective rather than being spoken about by people who are trying to score points with the certain demographic or folk who are trying to push there own agenda of what is and isn’t feminism/liberating.

I really enjoyed the variety of voices and styles of writing, some might have benefited from a touch more editing but only a minor gripe.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was a really solid collection. Definitely felt like the essays were a really good length, with none feeling overly long, but also none feeling like they were missing more. I think personally a few nearer the start were my favourites, whilst as the book went on I found fewer that really resonated with me. That being said, none of the essays stood out as bad. I think all of them were well written and all had at least something to celebrate and learn and reflect upon. I loved that you could see the individual personalities in each piece, and each felt distinct from the others.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was initially drawn to this collection when I discovered @sofia_reading was a contributor. I have been following Sofia since nearly day 1 of my bookstagram journey and I'm always blown away by her beautiful way with words and insights that make me think. Sofia's contribution to this collection was no different, so thank you Sofia for putting this book in my hands and to @unbounders for gifting me the copy.

However I devoured the whole collection of essays because of all the other fantastic contributions to the collection. This book made me sad, it made me angry, it made me think, it made me question and it made me smile. There is so much spirit and brilliance in the women contributing to this collection; so many voices and stories to tell.

When I started the collection with Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan's essay 'I Am Not An Answer, I am the Question' and her critique of how we dismantle elitism and colonialism I knew this book would have a lot to offer. When I finished the collection with Sumaya Kassim saying;

"Enough wasting time writing for others. Our role is to make space for ourselves, and to write, just write, and read each other's work with generosity and patience"

I felt like I'd been on quite the journey.

There are 20 women who contribute to this collection and share their stories so I would encourage you to pick it up as you will not be disappointed!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent selection of easy to read, diverse essays. This shone a light on SO many topics, not just Islamophobia, but also colourism, misogynoir and policing of women. Another fabulous 5 star read for me!

[SairaBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic anthology better than "its not about the burqa". The essays all by different individuals but some how all had one voice.
Pushing against racism, going against the status quo. Making space for their voices to be heard.

[underneath the stars · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book that came at the most depressing point in my life. I can't thank the authors enough for this book.

[I · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really insightful insight to the real experience of a muslim woman and the struggles that come with it.

[henna]

The stand out essays for me were:
- I Am Not an Answer, I Am the Question
- Hidden
- The Gift of Second-Sight
- Youth in the Time of Madrassahs
- A Cartography of Motherhood