Reading Diary: Love in a Headscarf

I haven't actually started reading, but this is the first time I read something of the kind, so it deserves a pre-reading post. To explain, at least, why. The genre of books under "World Literature" that discuss Muslim women, and specifically in novel form, have a generic stigma. They fall under the label of Muslim woman freeing herself from oppression or expressing her oppression, and they are represented (to me) by books like "Girls of Riyadh." They manage to combine the outdated and reviewed representation of the exotic, mysterious, and overly sexualized Arab woman, with the more contemporary image of the Arab Muslim woman as the meek subjugated creature, trodden on by Islam and Muslims. Not all books in this category do that, but the more popular and the ones that represent the category seem to.

The second reason my choice is an odd one is that I have gone by the unspoken rule of: I live here, so I don't want to read about it. It comes more from upbringing, education, and then life choices that I don't really read much "World Literature." Mostly because this external world this literature comes from is the one I live in and because I'm just used to reading American and British literature, mostly 19 century. Also, adding to my disillusioned view of the "Muslim Woman" category of writing, is my view of the Arab world category, especially when written by Arabs. If it's negative, I agree with the implementation of certain things as being inaccurate, but not the rest, and if it is positive, it is too nostalgic, exotic, and perfect that makes me revise what I see. I walk on the streets of Beirut, and I don't really smell the za'atar, greet the old man in traditional clothing with a huge smile, etc. (Maybe I should write about that topic at some point... because I'm digressing).

In both cases, reality and opinion struggle with what the novels represent. I'm giving this book a chance, however, not because it's pink, but because it seems to have more of a grip on reality but understands its conflict with idealistic imagery. If that makes sense. We'll see how it goes. And I'll update once I've read more than the first paragraph (which is good!).