"Could you not look beyond the hijab?"
Such is the question for one of Aboulela's protagonists in the collection of short stories, "Elsewhere, Home." Aboulela exquisitely and acutely describes the thoughts and reflections of Muslim, Arab women living between Scottland, England, Sudan, and Egypt.
In a time when millions of people have been displaced from their homes, its beautiful and heartwrenching to read reflections such as Aboulela's, and to consider, "What makes a home?"
I do wish more people read Aboulela's works and reflected on their significance in Philadelphia, for the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who reside here. Can we dare to make our city, and our neighborhoods, more friendly, and to welcome strangers into our homes?
Reviewed by Matthew G on Feb 1, 2023
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