The Beauty Of Your Face - Sahar Mustafah

Fiction

Rating: 8/10

While I thoroughly enjoyed the journey this novel was taking me on, I couldn’t quite predict the destination. That is until the last few pages.  When a Muslim woman asks the convicted school shooter who killed some of her students and held her captive, “How did we get here?”. 

And his response? No words, no explanation, no justification…just sobbing. And her reaction?  The quiet empathy of simply sitting and allowing him this release.

Throughout this unassuming yet powerfully written novel, the author demonstrates the human capacity for redemption and renewal.  Afaf, our main character, grows up on the fringes of her faith and eventually embraces it fully. All while living with a family that is fraying at the seams.

Vastly important topics are tackled in this book; religion, family, prejudice, racism, forgiveness, identity and more.  The delicate weaving together of these things would have been impossible in the hands of a lesser author.

Footnote: I am grateful for the opportunity this book provided to learn more of the nuances of the Muslim faith.