Him, Me, Muhammad Ali

August 29, 2016
Jarrar follows up her novel, A Map of Home, with a collection of stories depicting the lives of Arab women, ranging from hypnotic fables to gritty realism. In “The Lunatics’ Eclipse,” Qamar, infamous for trying to bring down the Moon, must escape her arranged marriage to flee with Hilal, a man building a rocket to space. In “Building Girls,” Aisha struggles with her Egyptian roots, and Perihan—who moved to the U.S.—can’t let go of them fast enough; together the childhood friends find a common language for their past and sexuality. “Lost in Freakin’ Yonkers” finds Aida disowned by her family after deciding to have a baby out of wedlock. “A Sailor,” in which a husband refuses to get mad at his wife for having an affair, is a nuanced portrait of a relationship. In the title story, after her father dies Kinshasa searches for her history in a missing photograph of Muhammad Ali posing with her father. Often witty and cutting, these stories transport readers and introduces them to a memorable group of women.

Debut collection from the award-winning author of A Map of Home (2008)."The Lunatics' Eclipse" is a fable about a girl who wants the moon and a boy who builds a rocket. "How Can I Be of Use to You?" is a sly interrogation of the ways in which women are exploited, particularly by each other. "Lost in Freakin' Yonkers" is a desperate, foulmouthed rant by a young Egyptian-American woman pregnant with a drunk loser's baby. These stories are set in locations geographically as disparate as Cairo and Paramus, New Jersey. "A Sailor" is a carefully controlled exercise in very short fiction, while "Grace" is a weird tale that gets a bit Borges-ian toward the end. Many of the stories gathered here have been published already--some more than once--in a range of literary journals, including such prestigious outlets as Ploughshares and Guernica. This variety is impressive, but it doesn't necessarily make for a satisfying reading experience. Taken as a whole, these stories feel like a series of experiments--or assignments--consistent only insofar as they share a certain superficiality. Jarrar lived in Kuwait and Egypt before moving to the U.S. as a teenager, and much of her work turns on a clash of cultures. Unfortunately, in most instances, this dynamic dichotomy is the whole story. An author is not obligated to resolve the conflicts she sets up, but Jarrar seldom sticks around long enough to explore the results of the conditions she creates. In this regard, most of these stories seem unfinished. "Building Girls" is an exception. This is a subtle interrogation of class spanning multiple generations and an exploration of desire enlivened by a dash of magical realism. A record of an author finding her voice. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016

You have to hand it to Jarrar, author of the Arab-American Book Award winner A Map of Home; the heroines in her brave, bright, tell-it-like-it-is collection are generally not submissive. When forced, the sharp-tongued unwed mother who narrates "Lost in Freakin' Yonkers" chooses her baby over her traditional family; the heroine of "Building Girls" may work for her parents in Egypt, knowing she'll never leave, but she finds an imam who declares, "Nothing in the Koran says a woman can't love a woman." Elsewhere, a girl in Alexandria aims (literally and figuratively) to reach the moon, another in Paramus, NJ, gets kidnapped from a Pathmark, a kestrel found in Turkey with an Israeli tag tells its story, and a college graduate contends with a famed Egyptian feminist. VERDICT Impressively varied in style and content, Jarrar's collection is recommended for a wide range of readers.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2016
Jarrad's (A Map of Home, 2008) sharp collection features characters struggling with varied predicaments and relationships alongside explorations of cultural, familial, and personal identity. The excellent title tale follows a 25-year-old narrator in the wake of her father's sudden death, recounting her parent's tumultuous relationship, which leads her from America to Cairo in search for a storied family photograph. Lost in Freaking Yonkers follows college student Aida as she navigates heady terrain: an unexpected pregnancy, alcoholic boyfriend, and disownment by her Arab parents. Jarrad's stories span continents and perspectives. Building Girls follows an Egyptian woman, Aisha, who has worked her whole life at an apartment building under the eyes of her parents. When a tenant, also a childhood friend, arrives after years away, Aisha finds herself confronted with unexpected urges as well as the reality of her life's particular circumstances. Asmahan follows two adult sisters in the aftermath of a car accident, revealing inner wounds and suppositions. Jarrad is witty and knowing, unafraid to explore the tricky pulls of individual transience versus familial responsibility.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)