I often don't like memoirs that are written by people who are still in the throes of the interesting parts of their lives. However, I will make a big exception for this book, really thoughtfully, written, and very personal. I feel like I know the author very well. For those looking for more clear Muslim voices, I would pick this one over Hijab Butch Blues any day. I really liked this because it approached both how to be queer as an individual and how to be queer in the context of community love, etc. which I thought was nuanced and wekk executed. In some ways, I really liked when she chose to be broad and generalize her experience, and when she chose to use really specific stories and motifs to express her points. As the hopeless, romantic, I do wish we may be seen a little bit more into her romantic relationship specifically, but I understand that was not the goal of this book. Excited to see what she writes next.

“Throughout my travels, I thought about what I wanted to love to look like for me. Was it possible to be loved without losing myself was the absence of a partner? I was spiritually and intellectually in sync with the price I had to pay for being uncompromising about needing a space to grow.

“we talked about how not to lose oneself while giving and receiving love, and how to keep our sense of self intact, while opening ourselves up to the possibility of love”