PositiveLos Angeles Review of BooksThat at the outset Sarsour addresses her jihad and hijab—two things that are essential to her identity yet are weaponized against her—reveals the author’s decision to use the book as an opportunity to set the record straight and to respond to the backwardness of the current political climate wherein Arabic words are demonized, women’s clothing choices are a battleground, and the very humanity of Muslims, and particularly Palestinians, is too often dismissed. And yet, the writing does not come off as preachy thanks to the storytelling, which weaves together the personal and the political with coming-of-age anecdotes and present-day struggles. The underlying theme that runs throughout the first two thirds of the book—that \'Muslims are good people, too\'—is painfully simple albeit understandable given the backlash the author and her communities have experienced.
Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
PositiveLos Angeles Review of BooksAs a result of the book’s extended focus, the story sometimes jumps around in unexpected ways, but the payoff is worth it. The authors don’t simply bridge the gap between the personal and the political; they purposefully meld these domains together ... This book is about Patrisse Khan-Cullors as much as it is about our current moment, wherein Black people, Muslims, the mentally ill, immigrants, women, trans folks, and others are one fender bender away from being beaten and charged with terrorism. The authors make clear that each of us needs to answer the question: what will I do when they call me a terrorist — because who among us won’t be?
