Once upon an Eid

My niece recommended Once upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed. The book includes 15 fictional stories about Eid written about various Muslim authors. The book description reads, "Eid! The short, single syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it’s waking up to the sound of frying samosas or the comfort of bean pie, maybe it’s the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it’s the gift giving and the holiday parties, or carnival rides to come that day. Whatever it may be, for those who cherish this day of celebration, the emotional responses may be summed up in another short and sweet word: joy." 

This was a nice read. At times it was a little slow, and the format (separate stories rather than a novel) made it take longer for me to get through than I would have otherwise expected. But I really loved learning about Eid since somehow I knew pretty much nothing about it! It is such a meaningful, special, important celebration for Muslims, so I feel so grateful that I am more educated and have a greater understanding on this. I really loved some of the stories (like I handed the book over to my daughter Emmeline to have her read "Kareem Means Generous") and enjoyed just reading all the different, unique Eid experiences among all the different stories and characters.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)