The book Cut from the Same Cloth? Muslim Women on Life in Britain Edited by Sabeena Akhtar @beena_books
I remember when I first saw this book pop up on social media. As a lover of short stories and mini essays I knew this had to be picked up as soon as. Not only did the idea of reading an insight into Muslim women’s lives but the visual imagery on the cover stood out and portrayed a form of unity.
Spoiler Alert: This book became the gift of the year for me.
About this book.
This 20 essay anthology is worth every page. The words on each of the pages complete the stories they are telling. Yet these are not just stories, they are real experiences of women from various backgrounds writing for others to read and relate to.
Even though this book was published in 2021, each essay was relatable. Showing that the lives women live even today are entwined with each others history.
The women in each essay are phenomenal and express their stories in fresh pieces that are easy to digest, whilst still providing thought provoking points.
“From modern pop culture to anti-Blackness, faith and family, politics, education, creativity and working life; this anthology gives visibly Muslim women a space to speak.”
Each of the stories are personally relatable to an extent. You will find yourself, a situation or an issue that you have come across written down. I remember reading the essay ‘Growing into Hijab’ by Rumana Laskar Dawood. At the time this book was published I was considering to wear the hijab. However I had not yet taken a step towards actually speaking to anyone about it properly. I was in my research phase. So coming across Rumana’s essay at was a blessing.
Reading an insight into her journey and life as a hijabi woman helped to answer some of my internal questions. So much so that after completing her essay I privately messaged her on Instagram to thank her. She had helped do something for me without even knowing it. Her words pushed me to pursue my journey into wearing a hijab and being confident whilst doing it.
What is next?
Growing up we did not have these type of influential books at our domain. As Muslim women we were never explored in the pages of a book let alone given the opportunity to voice our lives publicly. Reading a book like Cut from the Same Cloth? has allowed us to delve deeper into our lives and others around us. It has given us a chance to understand, explore and speak about our similarities and differences.
Going forward we need more books like this, more women from various backgrounds to come together, each with their own stories. Independent publishing allows this and gives amazing writers from ethnic backgrounds a platform they didn’t have before.
You will also appreciate how many new writers you will discover whilst reading Cut from the Same Cloth?.
If you would like to purchase this book then please take a look at the Unbound website.
