All-American Muslim Girl
Captivating coming-of-age tale explores identity, racism.
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Based on 1 review
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Nadine Jolie Courtney's All-American Muslim Girl is narrated by 16-year-old Allie Abraham. She's red-haired, hazel-eyed, and dating one of the most popular boys in her new high school outside of Atlanta. She's also Muslim, something she's never told any of her friends. But after an incident where her father is profiled on an airline flight, Allie begins to wonder whether "I'm just a cowardly traitor dipping into white privilege." She decides it's time to explore the faith she knows almost nothing about, studying the Qur'an with a group of girls and connecting with her school's Muslim Student Association. But then things get complicated. She's hiding her studies from her father, whom she's pretty certain would be opposed to the idea, and she's found out that her boyfriend's father is one of America's most conservative and Islamophobic talk show hosts. Like Allie, the author was born to a Muslim Jordanian father of Circassian and Syrian descent and a Catholic White mother who converted to Islam.
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What's the Story?
The ALL-AMERICAN MUSLIM GIRL is 16-year-old Allie Abraham. With her red hair and hazel eyes, she doesn't fit the stereotype of a young Muslim woman and easily enters her new high school outside of Atlanta, becoming a JV cheerleader and joining the chorus and Quiz Bowl team. While the friends she's made are racially diverse, she hasn't told any of them that her family is Muslim. When Allie starts dating Wells Henderson, he seems like the perfect boyfriend (kind, smart, and handsome) -- until Allie discovers that his father is a famous ultraconservative and Islamophobic talk show host with views that Wells is adamant he doesn't share. Allie's father has always advised her to keep being Muslim on the down low, that it's safer for her if people don't know. But after he's almost thrown off a flight because a passenger hears him speaking in Arabic, and some of Allie's classmates make remarks about Muslims being terrorists, she begins to question whether she's turned her back on her heritage. Her family's never been religious, and Allie knows almost nothing about Islam, so she joins a group of girls who're studying the Qur'an and begins making friends with other Muslim students at her school. She trades in her signature retro style for longer skirts and more modest tops and has spirited discussions with girls in her study group about what is and isn't appropriate behavior when dating. Allie's also caught up in a web of secrets. Her mother knows about her studies, but they haven't told her father, whom she's certain will disapprove. And while Allie has told Wells she's Muslim, who knows what will happen when his father finds out?
Is It Any Good?
This captivating coming-of-age story that challenges readers to consider what it means to be "American" while still embracing your own religious and cultural traditions. All-American Muslim Girl seamlessly integrates a familiar (and utterly charming) girl-and-boy-from-different-backgrounds romance with serious contemporary issues of Islamophobia, White privilege, and feminism.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they learned about Islam in All-American Muslim Girl. Were you surprised that the girls in Allie's study group had such diverse views about dating and the role of women in Islam? Do you agree with Allie's father that people are often frightened of things they don't understand and this fear can bring out the worst in them?
Would you date someone who only wanted to hold hands and exchange a few kisses? Do you agree with Allie that having boundaries like this gives you a chance to really get to know someone?
What would you do if you found out a good friend's father was a racist? If, like Allie, you were invited to dinner at your friend's home, would you keep silent if their father began to talk in a disparaging way about certain groups of people or would you speak up?
Book Details
- Author: Nadine Jolie Courtney
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Book Characters, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, High School
- Character Strengths: Communication, Courage, Curiosity
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date: November 12, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 18
- Number of pages: 415
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: November 30, 2020
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