Lamya (she/they) presents a memoir of her life as a queer hijabi Muslim, blended with her recollections and interpretations of stories in the Qur'an.

Born in South Asia, at 4 her parents move to a rich Arab state where she is immersed in readings of the Qur'an and sits at the bottom of the informal racial hierarchy. They realise they are queer at 14 after they feel a strong connection to the story of Maryam and has a crush on their teacher that manifests through persistent pranking to get her attention. She later starts college in the US as most of her family move to America and she faces battles with racism and the immigration system.

It’s a beautiful exploration of seeing your faith through feminist and queer lenses, the racism in the queer community, and discovering yourself and your vulnerability with others. It’s refreshing to see such a dauntless defence and embrace of the intersection between faith, race and queerness. Certainly, passages towards the end deeply connected with me and gave me a lot to reflect on.