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From Here
In her coming-of-age memoir, refugee advocate Luma Mufleh writes of her tumultuous journey to reconcile her identity as a gay Muslim woman and a proud Arab-turned-American refugee.
With no word for “gay” in Arabic, Luma may not have known what to call the feelings she had growing up in Jordan during the 1980s, but she knew well enough to keep them secret. It was clear that not only would her family have trouble accepting her, but trapped in a conservative religious society, she could’ve also been killed if anyone discovered her sexuality. Luma spent her teenage years increasingly desperate to find a way out, and finally found one when she was accepted into college in the United States. Once there, Luma begins the agonizing process of applying for political asylum, which ensures her safety—but causes her family to break ties with her.
Becoming a refugee in America is a rude awakening, and Luma must rely on the grace of friends and strangers alike as she builds a new life and finally embraces her full self. Slowly, she’s able to forge a new path forward with both her biological and chosen families, eventually founding Fugees Family, a nonprofit dedicated to the education and support of refugee children in the United States.
As hopeful as it is heartrending, From Here is a coming-of-age memoir about one young woman’s search for belonging and the many meanings of home for those who must leave theirs.
With no word for “gay” in Arabic, Luma may not have known what to call the feelings she had growing up in Jordan during the 1980s, but she knew well enough to keep them secret. It was clear that not only would her family have trouble accepting her, but trapped in a conservative religious society, she could’ve also been killed if anyone discovered her sexuality. Luma spent her teenage years increasingly desperate to find a way out, and finally found one when she was accepted into college in the United States. Once there, Luma begins the agonizing process of applying for political asylum, which ensures her safety—but causes her family to break ties with her.
Becoming a refugee in America is a rude awakening, and Luma must rely on the grace of friends and strangers alike as she builds a new life and finally embraces her full self. Slowly, she’s able to forge a new path forward with both her biological and chosen families, eventually founding Fugees Family, a nonprofit dedicated to the education and support of refugee children in the United States.
As hopeful as it is heartrending, From Here is a coming-of-age memoir about one young woman’s search for belonging and the many meanings of home for those who must leave theirs.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 16, 2023
30 people are currently reading
4071 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
April 10, 2023
A very moving coming of age memoir from a queer Muslim woman who recounts growing up in Jordan, her mental health struggles and her decision to seek asylum in America, knowing it would mean cutting ties with her family.
The author does a great job explaining the Muslim Arab culture she grew up in as a 1980s teen witnessing honor killings for women who so much as looked at a man not their husband or relative. As a lesbian, she didn't know who she could trust to come out to and feared for her life, even attempting suicide at one point.
Recommended for fans of other queer Muslim memoirs like We have always been here by Samra Habib, Hijab butch blues by Lamya H or Love is an ex-country by Randa Jarrar. Many thanks to @prhuaudio for a complimentary ALC of this book that was excellent on audio read by the author herself.
The author does a great job explaining the Muslim Arab culture she grew up in as a 1980s teen witnessing honor killings for women who so much as looked at a man not their husband or relative. As a lesbian, she didn't know who she could trust to come out to and feared for her life, even attempting suicide at one point.
Recommended for fans of other queer Muslim memoirs like We have always been here by Samra Habib, Hijab butch blues by Lamya H or Love is an ex-country by Randa Jarrar. Many thanks to @prhuaudio for a complimentary ALC of this book that was excellent on audio read by the author herself.
March 2, 2024
I really had no expectations of this book and have found myself thinking about it and recommending it a lot :)
May 7, 2023
This book was equal parts heartwarming and heart wrenching! In her coming-of-age memoir, refugee advocate Luma Mufleh writes of her tumultuous journey to reconcile her identity as a gay Muslim woman and a proud Arab-turned-American refugee.
Living in a tight knit religious community myself I resonated a lot with Luma’s sexual identity/self love journey. I really appreciated how easy this book was to read but was still completely impactful!
Highly recommend this book to everyone! Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Living in a tight knit religious community myself I resonated a lot with Luma’s sexual identity/self love journey. I really appreciated how easy this book was to read but was still completely impactful!
Highly recommend this book to everyone! Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 2, 2023
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC of From Here in exchange for an honest review!
Luma Mufleh's memoir From Here depicts her journey coming to terms with herself as she grows up. Luma grew up in Jordan in the 1980s, without resources like the internet or Western media (for the most part). And because of this, Luma struggles with understanding what sets her apart from other people — what she eventually realizes is being gay. Luma takes us through parts of her childhood, through college in the U.S., and into her attempt at applying for political asylum.
This was a moving memoir, and at times horribly dark. I would highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings I have compiled at the end of this review. I really loved Luma's commentary throughout. This unique perspective (which I suspect is not an uncommon experience, just a suppressed one) of being gay and Arab gave Luma's story authenticity.
Luma tackles some really difficult questions about religion (specifically Islam) in relation to her sexuality, all the while recognizing her privilege. Luma is from a wealthy family with a well-known name, and because of that she has more economic resources than others and more opportunities to get out of Jordan. And recognizing that privilege was key in a memoir like this. Luma went through so much to get to the relative peace she has today, and I think it would have been negligent to have not recognized that most people don't get even slightly close to her relative safety.
I found Luma's memoir especially impactful at the beginning and ending. Luma frames her book as a sort-of letter to her children. These moments of family and companionship were my favorite parts of the novel because they felt intimate and real. My largest critique would be that I wished there was more framing of the story throughout. As it is right now, only the prologue and epilogue were addressed to Luma's children, but I think it would have been much more moving had the entire book used that framing.
In terms of pacing, I was able to get through this book quickly, but there were definitely some moments that were brushed over (especially once she's in America), and some parts that took way too long to get to the point (a lot of her crushes and romantic exploits seemed to serve the same reasoning). I would also have liked to see a little more about settling into her life as a gay refugee, as personally I felt the ending was a bit abrupt.
Overall, I highly recommend Luma Mufleh's memoir. It is an important read and one I am hopeful will make an impact in the lives of other people who are trying to reconcile two contrasting identities.
Trigger Warnings: descriptions of multiple suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression, adult/child relationship, homophobia (internalized and direct), antisemitism (not challenged), racism against Arabs, misogyny, religious rhetoric to justify violence (including gun threats and descriptions of "honor killings”), killing of animals, family estrangement
Luma Mufleh's memoir From Here depicts her journey coming to terms with herself as she grows up. Luma grew up in Jordan in the 1980s, without resources like the internet or Western media (for the most part). And because of this, Luma struggles with understanding what sets her apart from other people — what she eventually realizes is being gay. Luma takes us through parts of her childhood, through college in the U.S., and into her attempt at applying for political asylum.
This was a moving memoir, and at times horribly dark. I would highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings I have compiled at the end of this review. I really loved Luma's commentary throughout. This unique perspective (which I suspect is not an uncommon experience, just a suppressed one) of being gay and Arab gave Luma's story authenticity.
Luma tackles some really difficult questions about religion (specifically Islam) in relation to her sexuality, all the while recognizing her privilege. Luma is from a wealthy family with a well-known name, and because of that she has more economic resources than others and more opportunities to get out of Jordan. And recognizing that privilege was key in a memoir like this. Luma went through so much to get to the relative peace she has today, and I think it would have been negligent to have not recognized that most people don't get even slightly close to her relative safety.
I found Luma's memoir especially impactful at the beginning and ending. Luma frames her book as a sort-of letter to her children. These moments of family and companionship were my favorite parts of the novel because they felt intimate and real. My largest critique would be that I wished there was more framing of the story throughout. As it is right now, only the prologue and epilogue were addressed to Luma's children, but I think it would have been much more moving had the entire book used that framing.
In terms of pacing, I was able to get through this book quickly, but there were definitely some moments that were brushed over (especially once she's in America), and some parts that took way too long to get to the point (a lot of her crushes and romantic exploits seemed to serve the same reasoning). I would also have liked to see a little more about settling into her life as a gay refugee, as personally I felt the ending was a bit abrupt.
Overall, I highly recommend Luma Mufleh's memoir. It is an important read and one I am hopeful will make an impact in the lives of other people who are trying to reconcile two contrasting identities.
Trigger Warnings: descriptions of multiple suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression, adult/child relationship, homophobia (internalized and direct), antisemitism (not challenged), racism against Arabs, misogyny, religious rhetoric to justify violence (including gun threats and descriptions of "honor killings”), killing of animals, family estrangement
February 19, 2025
4.25 stars
Born and raised in Jordan, Luma Mufleh knew she was “different” when she was young but being gay wasn’t acceptable in Jordan’s strict society. Determined to live her life under her own terms, Mufleh came to the US for college.
Luma Mufleh shares her story in FROM HERE and what a story it is! I enjoyed reading about her life in Jordan and rooted for her from the start. If you enjoy memoirs, you’ll want to pick this one up!
Born and raised in Jordan, Luma Mufleh knew she was “different” when she was young but being gay wasn’t acceptable in Jordan’s strict society. Determined to live her life under her own terms, Mufleh came to the US for college.
Luma Mufleh shares her story in FROM HERE and what a story it is! I enjoyed reading about her life in Jordan and rooted for her from the start. If you enjoy memoirs, you’ll want to pick this one up!
October 14, 2024
Audiobook ✨ 5 stars 💫
This was a great memoir! I was so invested in the authors life, and it’s always so humbling to think about the lives and stories of other people like this.
Luma Muflah is a Syrian-Jordanian, who came from a family close to the Jordanian Royal Family. Her father was King Abdullah’s advisor, and they grew up very wealthy in Jordan. Luma realizes from a young age that she is a lesbian, and is terrified of what her future looks like in a country where she can face persecution. She tells the story of coming to terms with her sexuality, and filing for asylum in America.
This book made me very emotional. The chapters were quick but all carried a different part of her story. I didn’t know this would be as good as it was, but I’m so happy a professor of mine recommended it to me. If you’re looking for a quick, enticing memoir, I suggest this one!
This was a great memoir! I was so invested in the authors life, and it’s always so humbling to think about the lives and stories of other people like this.
Luma Muflah is a Syrian-Jordanian, who came from a family close to the Jordanian Royal Family. Her father was King Abdullah’s advisor, and they grew up very wealthy in Jordan. Luma realizes from a young age that she is a lesbian, and is terrified of what her future looks like in a country where she can face persecution. She tells the story of coming to terms with her sexuality, and filing for asylum in America.
This book made me very emotional. The chapters were quick but all carried a different part of her story. I didn’t know this would be as good as it was, but I’m so happy a professor of mine recommended it to me. If you’re looking for a quick, enticing memoir, I suggest this one!
May 9, 2025
4.5 stars rounded
June 30, 2023
I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars! I need to sit with some things and then come back to adequately review. For now I will say that this book was so raw, so honest, beautifully written, so far from my life in many ways, and exactly like my life in others (like literally some of the things said and dealt with in navigating family was straight out of my story). Thank you for putting this story out into the world.
May 10, 2023
The author recounts her childhood in Jordan, where she realized both that she was gay and also just how dangerous it would be for her to stay in her home country. She shows how it was both heartbreaking and absolutely necessary for her to leave her family as a young woman and to seek asylum in the U.S. While she is honest about her fear, I found her actions brave. The way that she has chosen to foster community alongside other U.S. immigrants is inspiring.
April 19, 2023
Thank you PenguinTeen and NetGalley for a eARC, all opinions are my own.
Holy shit. I didn’t go into this book with many expectations to be honest but I was blown away as I resonated with so many parts of the story.
Thank you for sharing your story, Luma. These type of stories are so important especially to young queer BIPOC folk who don’t have accepting parents. Thank you for showing me that I’m not alone in my struggles and showing me that it’s possible to have the life you want despite the circumstances you come from.
Holy shit. I didn’t go into this book with many expectations to be honest but I was blown away as I resonated with so many parts of the story.
Thank you for sharing your story, Luma. These type of stories are so important especially to young queer BIPOC folk who don’t have accepting parents. Thank you for showing me that I’m not alone in my struggles and showing me that it’s possible to have the life you want despite the circumstances you come from.
May 10, 2023
FROM HERE is a moving memoir about growing up in Jordan as a member of the LGBT community. The book begins with Luma reflecting on her past with her daughter, and the complicated feelings she holds towards her family and the country where she grew up. It then travels back to her childhood, bringing both the good and bad stories about her youth, painting the picture of her family and all the things she loved - which she eventually had to leave as a refugee to the US to live her life with the love she wanted.
What I loved: This was a really moving and emotional memoir that pulls the reader in right from the start. There were things that made me laugh, cry, and feel all the feels as we experience Luma's life alongside her. Her past was not all bad - nor was it all good, and Luma does not shy away from portraying it all. The book is told almost in a series of stories, allowing the reader to understand what her childhood was like and the key people in her family. There was nothing simple about her choice to try to remain in the US.
I don't want to say too much about this book as it is a memoir, but there are some important lessons about religion, kindness, family, understanding, found and origin family, and being a refugee that are presented emotionally and poignantly through Luma's own life experiences. This would be a great pick for YA readers to delve more into other experiences and consider these many elements that are still powerful politically today (eg, the refugee immigration system). This is a really consuming read, and the pages turn quickly.
As a warning, there is content that may be tough for sensitive readers, such as suicidality/mental illness, homophobia, racism (especially in the wake of 9/11), misogyny, questionable relationships, animal death, and family estrangement.
Final verdict: FROM HERE is a moving and emotional memoir about a woman's growth and journey to finding a place to belong. Highly recommend picking this one up alone or as part of a book group.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
What I loved: This was a really moving and emotional memoir that pulls the reader in right from the start. There were things that made me laugh, cry, and feel all the feels as we experience Luma's life alongside her. Her past was not all bad - nor was it all good, and Luma does not shy away from portraying it all. The book is told almost in a series of stories, allowing the reader to understand what her childhood was like and the key people in her family. There was nothing simple about her choice to try to remain in the US.
I don't want to say too much about this book as it is a memoir, but there are some important lessons about religion, kindness, family, understanding, found and origin family, and being a refugee that are presented emotionally and poignantly through Luma's own life experiences. This would be a great pick for YA readers to delve more into other experiences and consider these many elements that are still powerful politically today (eg, the refugee immigration system). This is a really consuming read, and the pages turn quickly.
As a warning, there is content that may be tough for sensitive readers, such as suicidality/mental illness, homophobia, racism (especially in the wake of 9/11), misogyny, questionable relationships, animal death, and family estrangement.
Final verdict: FROM HERE is a moving and emotional memoir about a woman's growth and journey to finding a place to belong. Highly recommend picking this one up alone or as part of a book group.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
March 7, 2023
Absolutely loved this queer memoir from Luma Mufleh.
This is all about accepting your sexuality, even when it directly goes against the religious beliefs of your family. In the case of Luma, homosexuality is punished by death where she grew up, so she truly had to leave everything behind to be true to herself.
I truly felt moved by her story, and related a lot as I also grew up queer in a religious family, though thankfully have always lived in a country without laws against being queer.
A moving and heartfelt story.
This is all about accepting your sexuality, even when it directly goes against the religious beliefs of your family. In the case of Luma, homosexuality is punished by death where she grew up, so she truly had to leave everything behind to be true to herself.
I truly felt moved by her story, and related a lot as I also grew up queer in a religious family, though thankfully have always lived in a country without laws against being queer.
A moving and heartfelt story.
August 16, 2025
Richie’s Picks: FROM HERE by Luma Mufleh, Penguin Random House/Nancy Paulsen, May 2023, 320p., ISBN: 978-0-593-35445-2
“You’ll never know how much I really love you
You’ll never know how much I really care”
– Intro to “Do You Want to Know a Secret” by Lennon/McCartney (1963)
“There wasn’t a moment when I decided I would stay in the United States for good, just like there wasn’t a single instant that revealed the fact of my sexuality to me. There were the flashpoints: the bloody sheet, the honor killings, the police officer and his gun, the morality police and his switch. Slowly, I came to accept it. If I wanted to live, I couldn’t go back to Jordan.”
Luma Mufleh grew up in a wealthy, politically influential, extended family, in Amman, Jordan. The challenges and dangers of her coming of age as a gay young adult, in a culture which does not even have a word for “gay,” led to her traveling to the United States for college. As she approached graduation from Smith College, she did what she needed to do, in order to remain in the U.S. permanently. (This course of action got her disowned by her father.)
The masterful FROM HERE, Luma’s memoir, immerses tween and tween readers in Luma’s childhood, adolescence, and college years. The author’s story is filled with eye-opening accounts of an oft-antiquated, male-centric religious-based culture, halfway around the world. Her early life was radically different in so many ways from what most of us in the U.S. experience.
Luma begins her story, ostensibly written for her eldest daughter, with an event chronologically beyond the scope of this memoir
From the prologue:
“I asked Emily to marry me in Illinois, conspiring with her family to surprise her. Her sister scattered Ring Pops–I had always threatened to propose with one–like rose petals along the sidewalk that led to Emily’s favorite breakfast joint. It was a Midwestern April, bright and wet. The ground soaked through the knee of my pants; the sun burned my eyes as I looked up at her.
‘Did you say yes?’ I asked, practically panting, my face pressed against Emily’s shoulder.
‘Did you ask anything?’ she teased. I didn’t know if I had.
The restaurant was full of relatives and friends–when Emily saw them, she put her hands on her heart, her curls swung with wild laughter. We collected hugs and clinked glasses and revealed in the hours made, it seemed, just for us. Even her divorced parents set aside old resentments for the morning. Looking at them, I wondered how I could be so good at mending other people’s families, but never mine. Amid so much joy, that familiar loneliness found me; all I could see were empty chairs where my own family should have been.
Later, in the quiet of her mother’s guest bedroom, Emily wanted to know if I had told my parents about our engagement yet. ‘You always think worst-case scenario,’ she said. I didn’t know how to tell her that the scenarios I thought about were so much worse now that her feelings were at stake.
In the email to my parents the next day, I wrote, I know this is hard for you to hear, because this is not what you expected for your daughter. But I have never been happier, and I hope I can have your blessings.
Even though I also wrote, I haven’t told anyone else in the family–I want to share it with you first, it was my brother who called a few days later, after Emily and I had returned home to Atlanta.
‘How could you do this?’ he asked, and I wondered which part he thought was more audacious: that I had fallen in love or that I expected anybody to be happy for me. ‘Couldn’t you wait until after they died?’
‘Until they died? Seriously, Ali? That’s the best you’ve got?’ I raged at him. I smacked the steering wheel of my parked car, baking in the Georgia sun.
‘And she’s Jewish!’
‘Jews and Muslims have a lot in common. We don’t eat pig–’
‘This is not funny.’
‘It is a little funny,’ I taunted.
‘Why are you doing this?’
‘The same reason you did it. We’re in love, We’re going to have kids,’
‘Kids? Are you crazy? You can’t have kids.’
‘Why? Because she’s a woman? Or because she’s Jewish?’
‘Just don’t expect them to call you,’ he warned.
‘Kul kharah,’ I told him. Eat shit.’
We hung up on each other.”
Since making her home in America, Luma Mullieh has done good and notable work:
“In 2004, Luma Mufleh stumbled upon a group of boys playing soccer in the street after taking a wrong turn on her way home. The kids were refugees from several different countries, speaking different languages, but they bonded over the game. It inspired Mufleh to start and coach a team for young refugee boys to give them free access to organized soccer, but as time went on, Mufleh realized that the children she was working with needed much more support.
Based in Clarkston, Mufleh created the nonprofit Fugees Family in 2006 to continue supporting the boys via soccer and after-school tutoring. The next year, she opened Fugees Academy, a privately funded middle school for refugee boys. The academy expanded three years later to serve both boys and girls and teach children from grades six to 12. Soccer has remained a large, important part of Fugees Family and is a way the organization empowers the kids in transitioning effectively into life in the United States.”
– “Fugees Family founder Luma Mufleh on breaking barriers, discrimination, and what’s next for her refugee nonprofit” AtlantaMagazine.com (2018)
Once you read about Luma’s athletic prowess, and the eye-opening adventure Luma’s maternal grandmother took her on, when Luma was eight, you’ll thoroughly understand how Luma’s creation of Fugees Family was such a perfect quest for her to embark upon.
Luma’s storytelling is clear, powerful, heartfelt, and beautiful. It keeps you reading, and makes it easy to follow the action. FROM HERE, a truly outstanding memoir, will make you feel like you’ve spent quality time with this remarkable woman from a distant part of the world that is currently in the daily headlines.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“You’ll never know how much I really love you
You’ll never know how much I really care”
– Intro to “Do You Want to Know a Secret” by Lennon/McCartney (1963)
“There wasn’t a moment when I decided I would stay in the United States for good, just like there wasn’t a single instant that revealed the fact of my sexuality to me. There were the flashpoints: the bloody sheet, the honor killings, the police officer and his gun, the morality police and his switch. Slowly, I came to accept it. If I wanted to live, I couldn’t go back to Jordan.”
Luma Mufleh grew up in a wealthy, politically influential, extended family, in Amman, Jordan. The challenges and dangers of her coming of age as a gay young adult, in a culture which does not even have a word for “gay,” led to her traveling to the United States for college. As she approached graduation from Smith College, she did what she needed to do, in order to remain in the U.S. permanently. (This course of action got her disowned by her father.)
The masterful FROM HERE, Luma’s memoir, immerses tween and tween readers in Luma’s childhood, adolescence, and college years. The author’s story is filled with eye-opening accounts of an oft-antiquated, male-centric religious-based culture, halfway around the world. Her early life was radically different in so many ways from what most of us in the U.S. experience.
Luma begins her story, ostensibly written for her eldest daughter, with an event chronologically beyond the scope of this memoir
From the prologue:
“I asked Emily to marry me in Illinois, conspiring with her family to surprise her. Her sister scattered Ring Pops–I had always threatened to propose with one–like rose petals along the sidewalk that led to Emily’s favorite breakfast joint. It was a Midwestern April, bright and wet. The ground soaked through the knee of my pants; the sun burned my eyes as I looked up at her.
‘Did you say yes?’ I asked, practically panting, my face pressed against Emily’s shoulder.
‘Did you ask anything?’ she teased. I didn’t know if I had.
The restaurant was full of relatives and friends–when Emily saw them, she put her hands on her heart, her curls swung with wild laughter. We collected hugs and clinked glasses and revealed in the hours made, it seemed, just for us. Even her divorced parents set aside old resentments for the morning. Looking at them, I wondered how I could be so good at mending other people’s families, but never mine. Amid so much joy, that familiar loneliness found me; all I could see were empty chairs where my own family should have been.
Later, in the quiet of her mother’s guest bedroom, Emily wanted to know if I had told my parents about our engagement yet. ‘You always think worst-case scenario,’ she said. I didn’t know how to tell her that the scenarios I thought about were so much worse now that her feelings were at stake.
In the email to my parents the next day, I wrote, I know this is hard for you to hear, because this is not what you expected for your daughter. But I have never been happier, and I hope I can have your blessings.
Even though I also wrote, I haven’t told anyone else in the family–I want to share it with you first, it was my brother who called a few days later, after Emily and I had returned home to Atlanta.
‘How could you do this?’ he asked, and I wondered which part he thought was more audacious: that I had fallen in love or that I expected anybody to be happy for me. ‘Couldn’t you wait until after they died?’
‘Until they died? Seriously, Ali? That’s the best you’ve got?’ I raged at him. I smacked the steering wheel of my parked car, baking in the Georgia sun.
‘And she’s Jewish!’
‘Jews and Muslims have a lot in common. We don’t eat pig–’
‘This is not funny.’
‘It is a little funny,’ I taunted.
‘Why are you doing this?’
‘The same reason you did it. We’re in love, We’re going to have kids,’
‘Kids? Are you crazy? You can’t have kids.’
‘Why? Because she’s a woman? Or because she’s Jewish?’
‘Just don’t expect them to call you,’ he warned.
‘Kul kharah,’ I told him. Eat shit.’
We hung up on each other.”
Since making her home in America, Luma Mullieh has done good and notable work:
“In 2004, Luma Mufleh stumbled upon a group of boys playing soccer in the street after taking a wrong turn on her way home. The kids were refugees from several different countries, speaking different languages, but they bonded over the game. It inspired Mufleh to start and coach a team for young refugee boys to give them free access to organized soccer, but as time went on, Mufleh realized that the children she was working with needed much more support.
Based in Clarkston, Mufleh created the nonprofit Fugees Family in 2006 to continue supporting the boys via soccer and after-school tutoring. The next year, she opened Fugees Academy, a privately funded middle school for refugee boys. The academy expanded three years later to serve both boys and girls and teach children from grades six to 12. Soccer has remained a large, important part of Fugees Family and is a way the organization empowers the kids in transitioning effectively into life in the United States.”
– “Fugees Family founder Luma Mufleh on breaking barriers, discrimination, and what’s next for her refugee nonprofit” AtlantaMagazine.com (2018)
Once you read about Luma’s athletic prowess, and the eye-opening adventure Luma’s maternal grandmother took her on, when Luma was eight, you’ll thoroughly understand how Luma’s creation of Fugees Family was such a perfect quest for her to embark upon.
Luma’s storytelling is clear, powerful, heartfelt, and beautiful. It keeps you reading, and makes it easy to follow the action. FROM HERE, a truly outstanding memoir, will make you feel like you’ve spent quality time with this remarkable woman from a distant part of the world that is currently in the daily headlines.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
January 19, 2024
An honest and heart-wrenching YA memoir about @luma_mufleh journey as an openly gay Muslim woman and Arab American refugee.
🇯🇴
Luma grew up in Jordan during the 1980s and knew from a young age that she liked girls. Unfortunately, it was something she had to keep secret from those closest to her. She was living in a conservatively rigid religious society. When she gets older she’s able to attend college in the United States, where she’s able to apply for political asylum. This is when her family breaks ties with her. Making a new family out of chosen friends and her now wife, Luma is able to have a successful and happy life, founder of Fugees Family, wife and mother.
🇯🇴
This was such a moving autobiography. I loved the audiobook read by the author. It made it feel like she was telling us her story in an intimate setting, which I always enjoy. This book is about found family, choosing survival over expectations and starting new.
CW: suicide ideation, mental illness, homophobia, racism, Islamophobia, misogyny, death, violence against women, animal death, family estrangement, trauma
🇯🇴
Luma grew up in Jordan during the 1980s and knew from a young age that she liked girls. Unfortunately, it was something she had to keep secret from those closest to her. She was living in a conservatively rigid religious society. When she gets older she’s able to attend college in the United States, where she’s able to apply for political asylum. This is when her family breaks ties with her. Making a new family out of chosen friends and her now wife, Luma is able to have a successful and happy life, founder of Fugees Family, wife and mother.
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This was such a moving autobiography. I loved the audiobook read by the author. It made it feel like she was telling us her story in an intimate setting, which I always enjoy. This book is about found family, choosing survival over expectations and starting new.
CW: suicide ideation, mental illness, homophobia, racism, Islamophobia, misogyny, death, violence against women, animal death, family estrangement, trauma
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October 1, 2023It’s no secret, if you’ve read any of my reviews, that I’m really interested in the intersection of religion and homosexuality and how people reconcile the two or don’t. So when this title showed up in my library, I checked it out.
But this is more than that story, although it is a big part. This is Luma Mufleh’s love letter to Jordan, her country of birth and to her family, and about the experiences that being an out queer woman deprived her of. While there are some dark moments, this isn’t a sad book. Or at least it’s not only sad. Mufleh is a survivor and a fighter and thats the prevailing message. I really enjoyed learning about her life.
My one complaint is that I wish more about her love story was included—about how she and her wife met and fell in love, especially given the fact that Mufleh is Muslim and her wife is Jewish. But even without that look into her life, i think this is worth a read.
But this is more than that story, although it is a big part. This is Luma Mufleh’s love letter to Jordan, her country of birth and to her family, and about the experiences that being an out queer woman deprived her of. While there are some dark moments, this isn’t a sad book. Or at least it’s not only sad. Mufleh is a survivor and a fighter and thats the prevailing message. I really enjoyed learning about her life.
My one complaint is that I wish more about her love story was included—about how she and her wife met and fell in love, especially given the fact that Mufleh is Muslim and her wife is Jewish. But even without that look into her life, i think this is worth a read.
June 29, 2023
A well-told memoir about growing up gay in Jordan, where it's not okay to be gay. Mufleh shares her story of becoming aware of her identity (and trying to shed it in order to fit in and avoid literal death) along with her shifting relationships with her family and her culture. Instead of feeling like a manifesto or a sob story, this really felt like a coming-of-age story that came from an unexpected place. The hardship is authentic even though Mufleh on the surface seems incredibly privileged.
The content was compelling, but it was somehow told in an authentic and colorful way that immersed me in the story itself. Recommend to all young people, but even more those looking at LGBTQ stories or how those identities may intersect with family or religion or culture. Arab or Muslim young people may also appreciate the depth of consideration.
The content was compelling, but it was somehow told in an authentic and colorful way that immersed me in the story itself. Recommend to all young people, but even more those looking at LGBTQ stories or how those identities may intersect with family or religion or culture. Arab or Muslim young people may also appreciate the depth of consideration.
February 23, 2024
WOW! This memoir was so beautifully written and the audiobook was so well-narrated by the author herself that I cried (and that hardly ever happens) multiple times! Such a thorough, captivating, and well-described story throughout that I was able to almost picture it as a movie while listening.
Highly, highly recommend to ALL! Should be required reading. Amazing. What a wild but inspiring story, and what a brave, resilient woman!
Highly, highly recommend to ALL! Should be required reading. Amazing. What a wild but inspiring story, and what a brave, resilient woman!
March 1, 2024
Combination of physical book (Banned Books Box subscription, Feb. 2024) and audio (Audible). Beauty and pain are woven together in this powerful memoir. I enjoy reading books that teach me new perspectives, especially with a good dose of humanity, and this book provided that in spades.
A special benefit of my Banned Books Box subscription, I attended an online Zoom discussion with the author last night. Fantastic! 😀
Here's hoping the publisher develops a graphic novel version of this book because I know my daughter would read it!
A special benefit of my Banned Books Box subscription, I attended an online Zoom discussion with the author last night. Fantastic! 😀
Here's hoping the publisher develops a graphic novel version of this book because I know my daughter would read it!
May 25, 2024
I'm on a memoir kick and this was top of the list of available audiobooks from Libby. I'm so glad it was, because I loved it. Read by the author, this memoir taught me a lot about Jordanian culture, specifically how important family and honor both are. These two things are at odds for Luma because of her sexuality, and it is from this conflict that the heart of the story rises. By turn heartbreaking and hopeful, this book will tear you apart and put you back together again. I'm not sure if my middle schoolers are ready for it (it has some dark moments at the beginning), but a definite recommend for high school and adults!
January 17, 2024
Wow fascinating look at the Outcast United coach and her origin story and how her sexuality and her Muslim identity and her wealthy family and her experiences on the US in college all shaped her. Now she lives in New Albany Ohio and I want to bring her to speak!
September 12, 2025
I met Luma Mulfeh years ago when I worked in refugee resettlement, and I'm thrilled that she so bravely decided to share her story with the world. I found it on a list called "Books All Georgians Should Read," which is a fitting description. Trigger warnings: attempted suicide
July 8, 2023
This memoir was from a very important perspective & one that is important to add to our collection. While it is somewhat mature in some parts, it doesn’t cross any lines and I was invested from start to finish. It wrapped up way too quickly, but that was the only downfall…I especially appreciated the aspects that spoke to assimilation and the process of seeking asylum. I learned the most from those aspects and thought they were well told.
June 21, 2024
Incredible book. A must read
July 29, 2024
“Don’t feel sorry for them; believe in them.”
Hmmm I don’t think I’ll ever emotionally recover from this one actually
Hmmm I don’t think I’ll ever emotionally recover from this one actually
November 3, 2023
Pls be careful not to slip in the puddle of tears beside me after finishing this queer YA coming-of-age memoir
March 27, 2024
Wow. Luma’s story is really gut-wrenching and raw, growing up in Amman, realizing she was gay, realizing she needed to leave Amman for good because otherwise she would be in danger. It was hard to read (or listen to in my case) but such a moving story and really well-written, didn’t feel contrived or put on or any of the things you sometimes get with memoirs. I found myself wanting to know more about how her family’s wealth in Jordan might have insulated her from the dangers of things like honor killings, but maybe even wealth can’t protect you?
April 26, 2023
From Here
genre: memoir
pages: 320
rating: 9/10
rep: Jordanian Muslim lesbian
⚠️ CW: homophobia, on page s*icide attempt, on page animal sacrifice
This is the second memoir by a lesbian Muslim from the Middle East this year! I think what sets this one apart is that Luma was born in the 70s and grew up in the 80s, before the Gulf War and War on Terror. She is also originally from an affluent and wealthy family. Her grandfather was an advisor to the king, her family name carried a lot of weight, and she met the king and prince of Jordan many times (the prince went to the same school as she did!)
Mostly this is a coming of age from a young Muslim girl in Jordan and her family dynamic. In the 90s she goes to university in the United States and before she has to return home, makes the decision to apply for asylum without telling her parents. The book is written to explain to her own young children with her Jewish American wife why their grandparents don't have much to do with them.
Her story is lovely. I think the only thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way was calling it the LGB club. I know that that's what it was called in the 90s when this book takes place, but surely you could call it "the LGBTQ club, then known just as LGB" or something. She calls it the LGB club many times and it kinda felt weird.
genre: memoir
pages: 320
rating: 9/10
rep: Jordanian Muslim lesbian
⚠️ CW: homophobia, on page s*icide attempt, on page animal sacrifice
This is the second memoir by a lesbian Muslim from the Middle East this year! I think what sets this one apart is that Luma was born in the 70s and grew up in the 80s, before the Gulf War and War on Terror. She is also originally from an affluent and wealthy family. Her grandfather was an advisor to the king, her family name carried a lot of weight, and she met the king and prince of Jordan many times (the prince went to the same school as she did!)
Mostly this is a coming of age from a young Muslim girl in Jordan and her family dynamic. In the 90s she goes to university in the United States and before she has to return home, makes the decision to apply for asylum without telling her parents. The book is written to explain to her own young children with her Jewish American wife why their grandparents don't have much to do with them.
Her story is lovely. I think the only thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way was calling it the LGB club. I know that that's what it was called in the 90s when this book takes place, but surely you could call it "the LGBTQ club, then known just as LGB" or something. She calls it the LGB club many times and it kinda felt weird.
June 10, 2025
From the first chapter I was hooked into this beautiful story that took me from the Dead Sea to the Appalachian mountains, from grandmother's kitchen to gay clubs in the US, from extravagant Arab weddings to a cramped immigration office. The writing was so atmospheric that I could picture every scene so vividly. The love the author has for Jordan was noticeable in every description and that made it all the more heartbreaking when she had to make an impossible choice. I will be thinking about and reflecting upon this beautiful book for a long while.
September 14, 2023
5.5⭐️⭐️beautiful, through and through. a poignant memoir with a sure voice and true talent for storytelling. i would give this book 7 stars if i could. thanks to penguin teen random house publishers for sending me this arc!!!!
June 7, 2025
Read Around The World: Jordan
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