Between Two Moons | Aisha Abdel Gawad

Reading about immigrants making their way in a new life in the US is fascinating, but when those immigrants are Muslims in a post-9/11 world, it makes for a particularly compelling story. Between Two Moons is set in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn--a neighborhood with a large number of Arabs. The story centers around one family and is told primarily through one daughters, Amira. She and twin sister Lina are 17 and just graduated from high school. Where Lina is beautiful, boisterous and eager for new experiences that can often put her in dangerous situations, Amira is quiet, an observer, enjoying the thought of not being noticed. They are devoted to each other. Their family home is filled with love and support, a haven from an outside world that is suspicious of them just for being who they are. The timing for the story is Ramadan and also coincides with the unexpectedly early release of their big brother, Sami, from a 6-year prison sentence. Life is complicated and even within the Muslim community, distrust divides people.

The story pulses through the pages as characters make choices, deal with consequences and also navigate their close-knit neighborhood and the most hostile outside world. There are scenes of great hatred and violence--a reality of life for Muslims. I loved the story because you see that these are just people. People who have families they love and simultaneously drive them crazy, friends who can be fun and loyal but who don't always help them make good decisions. They're just people, not a monolithic group of stereotypes. Just families like yours and mine. I learned a lot about observant Muslims and their practices. This is a beautifully written story.