Does My Head Look Big In This

(What a book title, yes?)


I thought some of you may have noticed the interesting new title in my reading list. I finished this one a few days ago and actually REALLY enjoyed it. Here are some things you should know about it:

It is teen fiction. This means if you have no desire to hear about teen angst or stupidity, don't bother. It has some swearing and other things that may not be the best, but I did not find it offensive.

It is about a Muslim girl who decides to wear the hijab (head scarf) full-time as part of her religious observance. She goes to a prep school and faces some pretty harsh treatment from fellow students (as well as some stupidity on the part of some teachers as well...)

I really enjoyed seeing some of the same beliefs and values that I hold near and dear being cherished by this young girl! I loved how it showed the difficulties she faced in keeping those values and still feeling like she belonged in some sense.

At the end of the book, I found some of her insights into faith and belief in God to be admirable. Just wanted to share a few of those:

"It took me some time to realize that Ramadan is not just about hunger and thirst. I guess that when we're a McValue Meal away from relieving a hunger pain in a world where millions of people are dying of starvation, empathy does more to your conscience than a news report."

Her thoughts about fasting hit home for me too, particularly this one:

"But it kind of dawned on me then that at the end of the day nobody knows what I do behind closed doors. Except God...Sometimes I get this temptation to sneak into the kitchen and eat a cookie, or to take a sip of water when I'm gargling my mouth. My parents won't know. My friends wouldn't have a clue. But I guess that's just not the way it works."

I also really liked this part:
"But that's what Leila's always been about. Faith. Faith that she'll do something in her life. Faith in people. Faith in God. Faith that she knows who she is and what she wants and what her rights are."

I believe it takes a lot of guts and faith to actually LIVE what you profess to BELIEVE. What a story of teenage courage. I liked it. I liked how she explains her beliefs on staying clean before marriage to a boy she REALLY likes.

So, anyway, that is the end of my raving about this book. I suggest you read it. Despite the language (and I am usually not one for reading books with language) I found it satisfying and beautiful. It also helped me understand how hard it must be for Muslims who face racism and hatred for what people do in the name of their religion.

(Now I am REALLY done raving :)