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Reviewed by: Kathleen Jaccarino, High School Librarian Title: From Here
Author: Luma Mufleh
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin)
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 9-12 Genre/Type of Book: NonFiction, Memoir
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: The subject of the memoir does attempt suicide.
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I have been looking for updated memoirs of people that represent underrepresented groups, like the LBGTQ population. This book had good reviews and represented not only a gay perspective, but also a Muslim and refugee perspective.
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
"From Here" you will learn the power of perseverance! |
Review:
In this powerful memoir, Luma Mufleh, tells the story of growing up in Jordan in the 1980s. She has, as she explains, a wonderful childhood as part of a privileged family. As a young teen Luma realizes that she identifies as a lesbian. However, in Jordan, this is not acceptable behavior, and is punishable by death...and often people, especially women, who identify as gay are tortured. As a gay, Muslim woman, she realizes that this is not a life she will openly be able to lead. She struggles with this realization, and the shame she feels leads her to attempt suicide.
The story is told in a form of a flashback. The prologue has Luma talking to her daughter and waiting to call her family back in Jordan, for a strained conversation with her father. She then goes on to tell the story of how she ended up as an activist for refugees in the United States. As Luma chronicles her story we see that she is conflicted between her love for her family, her country and culture and her need to be true to herself. She strikes out to attend college in the United States and realizes what it would be like to live a life true to her identity. Each time she returns to Jordan for breaks she becomes more and more conflicted about her life if she returns there after college. Ultimately, she applies for sanctuary in the United States. Luma explanation of this arduous process breaks your heart, especially when she need to go undercover to hide from the FBI, who her family sends to track her down and return her to Jordan.
Luma finds her path, but it is not easy. Her story provides a moving insight into a young Muslim woman's struggle with sexual identity, and her conflicting decision to leave her beloved family and country to live a life that allows her to be who she is. I think it is Luma's struggle to come to terms with her family's treatment of her the most intriguing. She is honest about her feelings, but never vilifies her family's actions and culture.
I think there is great potential to use this in the curriculum. The publisher provides a teaching guide. The discussion of the Jordanian history/culture in the context of the bigger middle east dynamics is interesting and can easily be connected to the global curriculum. Whereas Luma's story/narrative is one that can be discussed in ELA classes- structure and author's craft, character development, plot, etc.... I would love to see this as one of a collection of memoirs that explore diverse cultures and identities- almost as a literature circle.
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