Lamya H's memoir, Hijab Butch Blues, is the thoughtful, compelling account of a queer Muslim woman coming to terms with all the parts of her personal identity. Born in South Asia and raised partly in a wealthy Middle Eastern country, Lamya (a pseudonym) immigrated to the U.S. for university and still makes her home there. Hijab Butch Blues chronicles her journey to name and embrace her sexuality, her attempts at dating during her 20s and her gradual acceptance of herself in a world that often reviles various aspects of who she is.
Lamya realized as early as middle school that she was attracted to other women but struggled to reconcile this reality with pervasive negative cultural and religious messages about queerness. However, in studying Maryam (known to Christians as the Virgin Mary) in Qur'an class, Lamya found a powerful example of a woman who did not need men for sexual or personal satisfaction. Lamya discovered other important parallels to her own experiences while exploring the stories of the prophets in the Qur'an, many of which she shares with her readers, even as she frequently felt isolated and unloved. She found help in unexpected places as she struggled to adjust to life in the U.S.: a kind queer mentor, friends at the local mosque and--eventually--a loving and supportive partner, a white woman from Vermont.
Incisive, achingly honest and thought-provoking, Hijab Butch Blues provides a vital narrative of a woman questioning stereotypes and learning to be fully herself. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams