A review by dania_
We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

It feels weird to rate a memoir. This book was such a personal story but it resonated with me since I have so much in common with the author. So many things made me tear up - her description of the ESL lessons she had as a first generation immigrant child reminded me of my own experience with them. Her feelings of both wanting and fearing becoming westernised reminded me of how I lost so much of my own mother tongue too. Something that really struck me is her strong conviction and hope to represent queer muslims as multifaceted - our stories are so often used for trauma porn, but she writes with so much hope and shows that there are so many of us, that we have loving and strong connections to each other, and that we've always been here and will not go easily. 

I 100% recommend this book, no matter your identity or knowledge of the LGBT+ community or Islam. If you relate to Samra's identity, you will see a lot of yourself in this; if you don't, you'll learn many new and brilliant and sometimes sad things.
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