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fkshg8465's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As far as short stories go, these were poignant and relatable in enough ways that it was easy to find empathy for almost every character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Abandonment
vaykay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism
ewillreadit's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
As part of my intermittent and slow-ish roll attempt to read from the Aspen Words Literary Prize longlist every year... I was actually on the waitlist at the library for Temple Folk when the shortlist announcement was made, and it was on it! So I was, of course, that much more excited to pick it up. And let me just say, this is exactly the reason I follow/love this award. First, I would likely never have picked this collection up otherwise (at least in part because I really only do limited short story collections). And second, this is the first time that I have ever read anything about the Nation of Islam - definitely fictionally, but honestly even in nonfiction (other than small amounts in high school history, which is hard to count, really, because I mean, whose perspective on that were we getting? ...not this one, I can assure you) - and I do love that exposure to new topics/populations. Reading is the best!
At risk of repeating myself unnecessarily from review to review, as with all short story collections, I'll give a little of my thoughts to each, and then finish with a little overall blurb of my reactions to the collection as a whole.
Blue - This was really a full character build in such a short space. I always wonder what draws people to religious sects/any cult-like group (I loved reading cultish Cultish for the breadth of discussion on that topic) and this gave a really great, but also approachably "normal," answer to that. I enjoyed the little bonus “twist” at the end for literary intrigue.
New Mexico - Interesting look at the competing/at odds expectations and demands of being Black in America, depending on the environment/who is influencing the expectations. Also, the contradictions of fighting to survive and fit in and pass vs also fighting for pride and success for one’s individuality and culture was a highlight theme here. “He was someone with an essentially good nature, who could be moved by fanciful notions of a glorious past to compel his sense of virtue.” and “... [She] was a passing woman; soldiering for a cursory kind of freedom, wrought in the lie of white superiority we thought they all opposed.”
The Spider - Ohhhh fascinating: this look at the splintering that happens when a movement loses a founder/leader. How each new generation can envision a future with renewed hope and passion, and get caught up in it to an extreme (or, be sold said vision by a charismatic voice), that previous generations have given up on or been disillusioned to or learned from. Yea. This was just a great study of humanity and the ebb and flow of movements through generations.
Candy for Hanif - What a commentary on the contradictory juxtaposition of what religious texts say about helping those who need it and the way followers of the faith follow through on that. Always love when that's pointed out. Also, a great look at the confines of a life and the ways people deal (or not) with that...and what finally pushes them to break from it. “She felt the weight of her soul’s exhaustion…” (pretty much sums up this story, it’s heavy);
Janaza - Getting caught up in a movement and the moorlessness/directionlessness that comes from losing that kind of leader/touchpoint (whether from death or when that someone renegs on the principles you followed them for) was the focus here. Also, honestly, I find end of life rituals across cultures are so interesting, and I wish we had gotten a little more of that here. A solid story, but overall not my favorite.
Woman in Niqab - A short interrogation of the mythology of covering - that it is for the protection of a woman (and no man would unwanted-touch a veiled woman without their consent). If only). Also, the moral assumptions and implications of being veiled or not, literally and figuratively, are discussed, in the context of asking: but what really does that choice have to do with what type of person you actually are? And should that (be allowed to) define how others see you? This was woven into a really lovely coming of age exploration, of boundary setting and identity testing and re-connection with a parent in an adult way. I really liked this one.
Who’s Down - A highlighting of how long Gaza has been in the news for the Exact. Same. Genocide. This is outside the direct context of this story, but as it is salient to the current international reality, let me clearly and openly say at this time: FREE PALESTINE ALREADY. Also, phew, what a look at how the dangers of indoctrination are universal; they know no bounds. More specifically, in a religious/faith context, do we only believe when it’s convenient/easy and stop when we’re sick of the effort? “No loving God, I reckoned, would allow a recounting of his miracles to render some human beings more worthy of home than others.”
Nikkah - Ahhhh the hypocrisy of faith leaders and what their intensity/extremism covers…what a horribly common tale. I mean, this line though: “the stark incoherence of their faith and their actions.” And, in this case, how a child will react and rebel and trial other systems after finding out and becoming fully disillusioned. For that same child, how growing up in that kind of extremity makes one more susceptible to it in other variations, even as one rails against the original experience. Plus, a really interesting look at how, once you leave one place/belief, does it then become easier to abandon the next? Damn. This was a subtle, but strong, hit. “But what we’re not going to do [...] is go to the extreme. When we are extreme with anything - extremely godly, extremely generous - it usually means that something else in life is suffering.” and “…but just because the leader is without morals doesn't mean that morality ceases to matter or that our cause is unworthy.”
Sister Rose - Oh this was short, but tough. The weight of shame that comes with most faith systems cannot be ignored, especially how deep it can cut and how long that can last and how wide it can affect (in this case, and in most cases, women especially). So then, of course, we see the uneven expectations on men vs women - across worlds and religions - and how that suppresses potential and how the attempt to escape it (it being those expectations and shame) can cause one to lose connection(s) and relationships that could have been vital, powerful. Tragic.
Due North - To bring it home, the classic conflict of religion and sexuality (or the false conflict or the internal/self shut down that comes from assumptions due to religious beliefs). You can't really do a collection on a religious group, at least not fully, without this theme. But the way our characters come to terms with that for themselves and loved ones here - it's really done well, so bittersweet. Inner lives are so complex. Oooooof this one broke my heart, and then sibling love patched it. What a final piece. Definitely my favorite of the collection. “And even if they failed and had to go back, they tried to make a difference in their lives - in our lives - by doing something new. That's how you get perspective; it's the venturing out that grows you…”
So, like I said, I have never really read anything about the Nation of Islam before, so I was very interested in these stories from that perspective, as learning and insight into something new-to-me. Bilal really breaks down the complexities of race “loyalty.” The verbosity and the follow-through, what is actually beneficial versus what is superficial and, importantly, who gets to judge. She tackles some of the supportive and wonderful things about strict and close-knit faith-based communities, as well as the negative and constrictive and even dangerous aspects, from internal perspectives. She does mention, clearly, the CIA involvement in suspicious deaths of Black rights leaders/supremacists that is historically purposefully buried by white-controlled history telling/teaching. And she does a beautiful job giving voice and nuance and insight and perspective into this highly judged but minimally known (at least at a larger societal level) population. There is tenderness and humanity in these pages, in all the small moments of life (the ones oft overlooked because they don't register as important enough to remember, even to those experiencing them directly), and the life-changing moments/decisions, and even in the not-so-good moments, which is something that we all want/deserve when our stories are told.
A lovely collection, whose strengths are in the quality of the writing, the subtleness of the power in the stories it tells, and, of course, the discerning gaze into a community that many know very little about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Child abuse, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
deedireads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/
TL;DR REVIEW:
Temple Folk is a strong work of fiction that does what it sets out to do very effectively. I recommend reading up on the Nation of Islam before diving in, if you are unfamiliar.
For you if: You like short story collections that examine internal conflicts, especially with organized religion.
FULL REVIEW:
I struggled a little bit with Temple Folk (finalist for the National Book Award) while I was reading it, but after I’d read more about its subject matter (the Nation of Islam) and an interview with the author, I realized that was because of my own ignorance. If you do those things the other way around, I think you’ll like this a lot.
All the stories in this collection are about Black Muslim characters directly or indirectly connected to the Nation of Islam, which is the one Malcolm X became involved with during his time in prison (although he doesn’t have anything to do with this book). The stories are ordered chronologically, beginning in the 70s (when Elijah Muhammad died) and continuing until the near present. The characters grapple with their faith and allegiance, both real and performative, in extremely thought-provoking ways — which is exactly what Bilal set out to do. The book was inspired by her grandparents’ experiences in the Nation. A few passages from her recent interview with The New York Times which helped clarify this for me:
TL;DR REVIEW:
Temple Folk is a strong work of fiction that does what it sets out to do very effectively. I recommend reading up on the Nation of Islam before diving in, if you are unfamiliar.
For you if: You like short story collections that examine internal conflicts, especially with organized religion.
FULL REVIEW:
I struggled a little bit with Temple Folk (finalist for the National Book Award) while I was reading it, but after I’d read more about its subject matter (the Nation of Islam) and an interview with the author, I realized that was because of my own ignorance. If you do those things the other way around, I think you’ll like this a lot.
All the stories in this collection are about Black Muslim characters directly or indirectly connected to the Nation of Islam, which is the one Malcolm X became involved with during his time in prison (although he doesn’t have anything to do with this book). The stories are ordered chronologically, beginning in the 70s (when Elijah Muhammad died) and continuing until the near present. The characters grapple with their faith and allegiance, both real and performative, in extremely thought-provoking ways — which is exactly what Bilal set out to do. The book was inspired by her grandparents’ experiences in the Nation. A few passages from her recent interview with The New York Times which helped clarify this for me:
Her grandfather once told her that he hadn’t learned Arabic as a member, so couldn’t read the Quran at the time. So why, she asked, had he bothered to join?
“His face got really hard, and he said, ‘Don’t you know that white people were killing us and lynching us and calling us the N-word in those days?’” she recalled. “‘What would you have done?’ And it silenced me, because I didn’t know what I would have done.”
“Temple Folk,” which grapples with that era of the Nation of Islam, is her answer.
And:
This is part of my family history. I think the thing that disturbs some people is the idea that I can be of such a mixed mind about it, because I don’t like racialized thinking, and at the same time I understand, in its historical context, how inevitable it was that a movement like this would emerge. I have some pride, frankly, associated with the fact that my grandparents were brave enough to assert, in an environment where they were taught to hate themselves for being Black, that they should take pride in being Black. So I have pride attached to this personal history and I also have a lot of critique around the things the nation said and did.
Still, while effective and affective (more so in hindsight, for me), it wasn’t a perfect read. I had trouble keeping details straight within the stories, although that could have been because I chose to listen to the audio instead of reading in print. I was also left unsatisfied by the ending of several of the stories; while I know short stories do tend to end just before a resolution, a little open-ended but in a thought-provoking way, this was more like they just…stopped. I do think that the novella at the end (which is about 30% of the book) was by far the strongest, and it’s worth reading it just for that.
All in all, a strong work of fiction that makes sense to me as an NBA finalist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
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