The Memory of Hands [PB]

Description

The Memory of Hands is a collection of stories which is at once turbulent and real, sometimes frightening and evocative, but yet so lucid that "...you can catch it and hold it for a moment or tow in the palm of your hand." These ten stories by Muslim-American author Reshma Baig straddle the worlds of memories, dreams and reality. Told with insight and sensitivity, the intimately explore the oftentimes complicated lives of the Muslim immigrant diaspora in New York City. Throughout the narrative, voices emerge from all corners of the Muslim-American experience to articulate struggles, remembrances, fears and dreams. A newlywed bride remembers her maternal legacy; a shy second grader looks to the heavens to conquer her worst fears; sisters negotiate the terms of their identities in "their new home, America"; a young woman challenges her communitys cultural myopia; a daughter reflects on the meaning of love and tries to make sense of her parents troubled marriage; a young man fights parental pressure to choose his own future; a nightmare comes to life as a couple finds themselves in the center of modern day Jahiliyah. The result is a collection of stark and stunning stories that elucidate the spiritual and psychological challenges faced by Muslim-Americans as they, too, begin to claim America as their new home.