A poignant glimpse into human imperfections and the struggle to find one’s place in the world.
A powerful, honest account of an activist’s experiences of being gay in a culture she loves but in which it’s hard to see a place for herself.
Growing up privileged in Amman, Jordan, Mufleh realized as a preteen that she was attracted to other girls. Scared of revealing the truth but grappling with suicidality and unable to continue to conceal her true self, she attended Smith College in Massachusetts, where she gained new insights into being Arab, Muslim, and gay. Her family’s connections to the Jordanian royal family allowed them to respond to her coming out by sending the FBI to attempt to bring her home. Knowing she could be executed for her sexuality, she sought asylum in the U.S. Mufleh’s raw descriptions of finding her place in the world are relatable: Questions of choosing between living your truth or your family’s will speak to readers of many backgrounds. Mufleh clearly loves her culture and her family; she unapologetically describes her struggles without vilifying an entire people or religion. In particular, the cultural details and Mufleh’s warm relationship with her unconditionally supportive Syrian grandmother are moving elements in a story that has some dark moments. Mufleh’s journey shows that acceptance and reconciliation are possible and that those we love can grow and learn. Her account of founding the Fugees Family, a nonprofit supporting refugee and immigrant youth, models using one’s own struggles to uplift others.
A poignant glimpse into human imperfections and the struggle to find one’s place in the world. (Memoir. 14-18)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9780593354452
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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