In the Name of God

by Paula Jolin

Overview

A 17-year-old Syrian girl's strengthening religious and political beliefs put her on the path toward Islamic fundamentalism.

They talked about doing things, of course, these macho cousins and uncles of mine. But nothing happens. God did not reward the Muslims for waiting in patience while the Unbelievers picked them off one by one, did He? God helps she who helps herself, she who helps the Muslims. Someone has to take control, right? I've already decided that someone will be me.

Nadia is an excellent student, daughter, and sister, living in Damascus, Syria. Above all, she strives to walk the straight path and follow the laws of Islam. But she's confused by the world around her and how she fits into it. She's conflicted about her Westernized cousins, the internal struggles of her country, and the war raging in Iraq.

When her cousin is arrested by Syrian authorities for speaking out—betrayed by someone in the family—Nadia finds herself drawn into the dark world of Islamic fundamentalism. And she's about to face the biggest decision of her life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312384555
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	10/28/2008
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Paula Jolin spent most of the last decade living and working in the Middle East. She has a masters degree in Islamic Studies and has written a number of non-fiction articles about Islam and the Arab world that have appeared in national children's magazines, including Calliope and New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams. She is also a reviewer for BookReporter.com and TeenReads.com.

Editorial Reviews

The taut, suspenseful plot builds to a riveting climax. . . . Jolin does more than put a face on Middle East teens; she breathes life into each of her well-drawn characters and their complicated world. Nadia's story reminds us that some truths are best expressed by fiction.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“. . . a groundbreaking story . . . Writing with compassion and sensitivity, Jolin shows the volatile mix of vulnerabilities, passions, anger, fear, yearning and devotion that pulls Nadia toward her shocking choices, which culminate in a heart-stopping ending. . . . an essential starting place for teens to examine their own views about Western culture, the Middle East, the division of church and state, terrorism, and how fear and hate, faith and love affect everything.” —Booklist, Boxed Review

“. . . a convincing picture of life in present-day Damascus, and the suspense will keep readers engaged.” —School Library Journal

“Jolin's powerful and timely first novel transports readers to present-day Syria and explores how the hatred that young people feel towards Americans seem to fuel their willingness to become suicide bombers.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Jolin's powerful and timely first novel transports readers to present-day Syria and explores how the hatred that young people feel towards Americans seems to fuel their willingness to become suicide bombers. Nadia, a respectable hijabi girl, lives in Damascus, where she fasts, prays, reads the Qur'an and covers her head. She is disgusted with her cousins' acceptance of Western culture ("Once again, Western values were intruding into my world and I was powerless to stop them"). Like her cousin Fowzi, Nadia believes that America's support of Israel and their fight against terrorism is contributing to the unstable conditions in Syria. Many young people, unable to find professional jobs, must seek work elsewhere, either in Emirates or the United States ("enemy number 2," behind Israel). Fowzi tells them, "How can you be responsible to the Muslims when you live in a state that's attacking them?" After Fowzi is arrested, Nadia feels compelled to fight against the American influences that resulted in his arrest, and agrees to be a suicide bomber. Readers will see that underneath Nadia's extremist idealism there is also a young woman with a romantic notion of saving her country, who doesn't fully realize the overwhelming consequences her actions will have on her family until it is almost too late. Though at times readers may feel they are being taught, this informative novel will get them thinking about another point of view. Ages 14-up. (Apr.)

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Publishers Weekly

In the cramped Damascus apartment 17-year-old Nadia shares with her family, life is tough and getting tougher. While her brothers search unsuccessfully for work, Nadia, attends school. Her fundamentalist Islamic faith and wearing the hijab insulate her from the despondency and stress that surround her, but her rigid views drive a wedge between her and her family. Exhausted and fearful, living under a chaotically repressive regime, they would rather forget the political and religious realities that enrage Nadia. Soon she is venturing down a dangerous path, led by Walid, the attractive young man who draws her into this ominously exciting life. The taut, suspenseful plot builds to a riveting climax. Nadia's world is exotic, but her emotional upheavals, judgmental opinions and flashes of wry self-awareness mark her unmistakably as a member of the teenage tribe. Jolin does more than put a face on Middle East teens; she breathes life into each of her well-drawn characters and their complicated world. Nadia's story reminds us that some truths are best expressed by fiction. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews