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Reviews
The Butterfly Mosque: A Young American Woman's Journey to Love and Islam by G. Willow Wilson
mschrock8's review
3.0
Hard and confusing. It tugged at my heart. Willow & Omar's marriage and life together faced many struggles. I wonder what happened next?
hellsfire's review
4.0
I didn't know if I would enjoy The Butterfly Mosque. I've never had an identity crisis, haven't lived outside the country, gone to a four year school, I'm a guy and am an atheist. Surprisingly enough, I not only enjoyed it but related with Willow and her journey.
The Butterfly Mosque is a story about growing up, trying to fit in, and trying to fill that void in your life. I can relate to all that. Those themes played through the book more than the love story and religion. That's why anyone can and should read it. If TBM just focused on love and religion, it wouldn't have been as good. Some people would have been turned off and just from reading the cover have probably been.
I do wish the Willow falling in love with Omar had been expanded upon. For one, our society's different from theirs but it also seemed to move too fast. It wasn't that Willow and Omar fell in love fast but more that I wanted to know what they did or didn't do. On the one hand, they were married but on the other they were not. You see, it's all very confusing. But as someone who exists in two worlds, it always is.
The Butterfly Mosque is a story about growing up, trying to fit in, and trying to fill that void in your life. I can relate to all that. Those themes played through the book more than the love story and religion. That's why anyone can and should read it. If TBM just focused on love and religion, it wouldn't have been as good. Some people would have been turned off and just from reading the cover have probably been.
I do wish the Willow falling in love with Omar had been expanded upon. For one, our society's different from theirs but it also seemed to move too fast. It wasn't that Willow and Omar fell in love fast but more that I wanted to know what they did or didn't do. On the one hand, they were married but on the other they were not. You see, it's all very confusing. But as someone who exists in two worlds, it always is.
drbooknerd's review against another edition
5.0
This book not only lived up to my expectations, but exceeded them. Wilson's inspiring journey to Islam, the change of scenery from America to Egypt, the relationships she has (not to mention meeting her husband), her voice and the way she describes all of these made for a very sumptuous, enthralling and lovely read, to say the least. Some of the themes she talks about through her experiences as a convert, in a world where Islam is not seen in the best light, is of course, very relevant still today. Her life in Egypt is described in such detail and in very personal terms, it makes you fall in love with the story, her life and her journey - so much so that I almost wish she had written another book to cover what has occurred in her life since then. I know that several of my friend on the site already have it on their to-read list and if you are reading this and you don't, you should definitely add it now. Haven't loved a book this much in a long long time.
scheu's review
4.0
I picked this up because the author wrote a book I loved (Alif the Unseen) and a comic that I'm currently reading (Ms. Marvel). Also, she grew up in Colorado (where I live!) and plays WoW (a fact that is not mentioned in the book but I will add because I also play). I can't speak as to the spiritual aspects of Wilson's memoir, as I am an atheist, but the parts about how she met and built a relationship with her husband were charming. I also learned a number of things about Islam about which I was previously unaware (see above). I hope that one day she will write another memoir about having kids, writing comics, and transitioning back to the USA with her husband. I'd pick it up too!
balletbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
A lovely memoir about finding one’s faith and adopting a culture you love even while fighting the media stereotypes about that culture and faith. When Willow was in town, I talked to her a little bit about this book which was largely written 10 years ago with the enthusiasm of a person in her mid-20s - she now wishes that maybe she had written some things differently, or had done more research on a topic, from distance of another 10 years of living in the “third culture” she and Omar try to build for themselves.
Even if she wishes things had been written differently, I feel like she approached this book with sensitivity and a great deal of love and gave a lot of nuance to very “big picture” issues. Her descriptions of Omar’s family are so wonderful (I’d love to meet his mom, Sohair). There is a later chapter where Willow has the opportunity to meet a sheikha, a female imam, and how Westernization has possibly eliminated the need for sheikhas, to the detriment of many. It’s an interesting line of thought.
Book #1 for Readathon done!
Even if she wishes things had been written differently, I feel like she approached this book with sensitivity and a great deal of love and gave a lot of nuance to very “big picture” issues. Her descriptions of Omar’s family are so wonderful (I’d love to meet his mom, Sohair). There is a later chapter where Willow has the opportunity to meet a sheikha, a female imam, and how Westernization has possibly eliminated the need for sheikhas, to the detriment of many. It’s an interesting line of thought.
Book #1 for Readathon done!
bookherd's review
4.0
I read this book for the "Community" read at the ACRL 2015 conference. Discussion will be later this morning. I had no prior knowledge of the author (although now I can connect her with the stories I'd read about Ms. Marvel, the Pakistani-American, Muslim superhero) or the subject of the book. I found it to be a really moving account of finding community in a place far from "home," in a religion and culture far from the author's upbringing. I particularly resonated with the author's account of her conversion to Islam--my experience of converting to Christianity as an adult was similar in many ways, from finding to my surprise that I already believed many of the central tenets of a religion I had always thought was incompatible with my most deeply held beliefs to reassuring my atheist family that I was still the same person.
Another compelling part of this book is the author's recognition of the difficulty of communicating the value and beauty she sees in the cultures of Muslim countries to American audiences, who don't have an open mindset toward that topic at this moment. I saw G. Willow Wilson speak last night at the opening of ACRL2015--she is a vibrant speaker, so I am looking forward to the discussion this morning.
Another compelling part of this book is the author's recognition of the difficulty of communicating the value and beauty she sees in the cultures of Muslim countries to American audiences, who don't have an open mindset toward that topic at this moment. I saw G. Willow Wilson speak last night at the opening of ACRL2015--she is a vibrant speaker, so I am looking forward to the discussion this morning.
allisonseverson's review
4.0
This is about a girl's journey to Islam. Most interesting aspects of the book to me: the cultural changes she manages as a woman and a new Muslim, and the facts and observations of political situations she shares.
In some ways, I think anyone navigating a very different culture by way of marriage could relate to Wilson's struggle. In a much less drastic way, but still there are similarities.
It took me a while to read this book, partly because I would read and then stop and think, then pick it up again a few days later.
A good book for anyone who wants to understand more about Islam. Thank you to @Joanne Marshall for the book!
In some ways, I think anyone navigating a very different culture by way of marriage could relate to Wilson's struggle. In a much less drastic way, but still there are similarities.
It took me a while to read this book, partly because I would read and then stop and think, then pick it up again a few days later.
A good book for anyone who wants to understand more about Islam. Thank you to @Joanne Marshall for the book!
raja29's review
5.0
This was really thoughtful. It had a great balance between describing her spiritual journey, her experience adjusting to a new culture and new family, and the world events going on at the time. It had great descriptions of Egypt and Iran that make me want to visit these places that I hadn't really thought much about before. Wilson also has a way of writing that reminds me of classic novels. I greatly enjoyed reading this!
thejenjineer's review
4.0
So this book was lying around our house for a few years now, but I've never really paid much attention to my bookshelves since my entire family switched to ebooks (about five years ago was it?). But then I had to go to a refinery as part of my work training. No electronic devices were allowed anywhere near the scary towers of fire. So I had to find a good old fashioned paper based book to stuff into my purse. While scanning the bookshelves, the name on the spine caught my eye. Not the title, the author's name. Ms. Marvel's writer wrote a book? Yay!
Although it got a little boring in parts (why it lost a star) the author is an openminded person with a good way of explaining complex ideas with simple words. When written with sensitivity and intellect, I do enjoy books about Muslim/Arab culture from an outsider's perspective. They make you think about things about your everyday life that you usually take for granted. Another good example of this is [b:In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams|1332455|In Arabian Nights A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams|Tahir Shah|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391784883s/1332455.jpg|1321966] by Tahir Shah.
Although it got a little boring in parts (why it lost a star) the author is an openminded person with a good way of explaining complex ideas with simple words. When written with sensitivity and intellect, I do enjoy books about Muslim/Arab culture from an outsider's perspective. They make you think about things about your everyday life that you usually take for granted. Another good example of this is [b:In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams|1332455|In Arabian Nights A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams|Tahir Shah|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391784883s/1332455.jpg|1321966] by Tahir Shah.