What do you think?
Rate this book
Between Two Moons
A deeply moving family story about identity, faith, and belonging set in the Muslim immigrant enclave of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn following three siblings coming of age over the course of one Ramadan
It's the holy month of Ramadan, and twin sisters Amira and Lina are about to graduate from high school in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. On the precipice of adulthood, they plan to embark on a summer of teenage revelry, trying on new identities and testing the limits of what they can get away with while still under their parents' roof. But the twins' expectations of a summer of freedom collide with their older brother's return from prison, and his mysterious behavior threatens to undo the delicate family balance.
Meanwhile, outside the family's apartment, a storm is brewing in Bay Ridge. A raid on a local business sparks a protest that brings the Arab community together, and a senseless act of violence threatens to tear them apart. Everyone's motives are called into question as an alarming sense of disquiet pervades the neighborhood. With everything spiraling out of control, how will Amira and Lina know whom to trust?
It's the holy month of Ramadan, and twin sisters Amira and Lina are about to graduate from high school in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. On the precipice of adulthood, they plan to embark on a summer of teenage revelry, trying on new identities and testing the limits of what they can get away with while still under their parents' roof. But the twins' expectations of a summer of freedom collide with their older brother's return from prison, and his mysterious behavior threatens to undo the delicate family balance.
Meanwhile, outside the family's apartment, a storm is brewing in Bay Ridge. A raid on a local business sparks a protest that brings the Arab community together, and a senseless act of violence threatens to tear them apart. Everyone's motives are called into question as an alarming sense of disquiet pervades the neighborhood. With everything spiraling out of control, how will Amira and Lina know whom to trust?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2023
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
December 14, 2023
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu4lYGMLb...
A compellingly fresh and emotional coming of age that centers around familial bonds, identity, and the immigrant experience. With endearing and authentic protagonists, Between Two Moons is an honest and all encompassing view of twin girls as they navigate racism, their own religious and cultural identities, and their growing uncertainty as they grow apart and find their ways back to one another. This is an ode to immigrant parents, to their children who fight to remain loyal to their traditions but who also wish to forge their own identities and ambitions, and to the faith and love that changes, but never falls completely apart. This is an essential coming of age story; it is urgent, timely, and brillant.
A compellingly fresh and emotional coming of age that centers around familial bonds, identity, and the immigrant experience. With endearing and authentic protagonists, Between Two Moons is an honest and all encompassing view of twin girls as they navigate racism, their own religious and cultural identities, and their growing uncertainty as they grow apart and find their ways back to one another. This is an ode to immigrant parents, to their children who fight to remain loyal to their traditions but who also wish to forge their own identities and ambitions, and to the faith and love that changes, but never falls completely apart. This is an essential coming of age story; it is urgent, timely, and brillant.
April 7, 2023
I read this book with a lump in my throat nearly the whole time.
There’s something so quietly universal about being young, but thinking you aren’t. About picking people who know how young you are, how badly you want to be treated otherwise and preying on you. Making you think it was you that handed them the key to your undoing. We all have someone who fucked us up before we had learned how to pick up the pieces.
I love this book for the many ways I felt tied to the characters and all the things I learned from them, too. A gorgeous story surrounding the Arab-American experience.
There’s something so quietly universal about being young, but thinking you aren’t. About picking people who know how young you are, how badly you want to be treated otherwise and preying on you. Making you think it was you that handed them the key to your undoing. We all have someone who fucked us up before we had learned how to pick up the pieces.
I love this book for the many ways I felt tied to the characters and all the things I learned from them, too. A gorgeous story surrounding the Arab-American experience.
March 1, 2024
Wow. I don't remember the last time I read a literary fiction that was this good. I usually don't like literary fiction, but this was...breathtaking. It made me cry, that's how good it was.
This book is sad. Yes there are happy, cozy, funny, and heartwarming moments. But ultimately, it's sad. Its goal is to show 18yo Amira's life over the course of the summer of 2016, and the challenges that come with being a second-generation Egyptian Muslim in NYC in a post-9/11 world. And...it's not easy.
The author did a really good job of showing how FBI surveillance of Muslims truly affects us--our masjids, our communities, our families, and all the way down to our individual selves.
Aisha Abdel Gawad is an amazing writer. I can't believe this is only her debut.
- prose: amazing, beautiful, vivid, haunting, eloquent. Every sentence - every WORD - matters, and was clearly chosen so carefully.
- the setting/worldbuilding: I feel like I know exactly what Bay Ridge, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, NYC, looks like. The way the author embedded it within her characters and embedded her characters within it is so beautiful.
- the characters: I can go on and on about this. But everything was handled so beautifully. No one here was surface level--even the tertiary characters had entire stories of their own, but it never felt like TMI. What I loved most, of course, was the way the family dynamic was handled. Each of Amira's siblings and parents were unique, had their own personalities, own arcs, own backstories, own relationships with each other. And unlike in YA novels* this book truly humanized the parents. The parents were neither absent nor antagonistic nor perfect/best friends. They were human, they try to parent their kids, and they love them more than anyone else, but they make mistakes, they struggle, they cry, they get hurt too.
- the concept of faith: faith is not the main point of conflict here, although it is an important part of Amira's worldview/identity. It is woven into the narrative beautifully. Amira struggles with her faith and her relationship with God, but I like that the book neither romanticized it nor antagonized it. It just felt so realistic.
I did not appreciate some of the comments made about Hajar alayha assalam. They don't come from our Islamic tradition and made me very uncomfortable. There are also a few times when Islam seems to be misinterpretted - not just by the character as someone who doesn't know much about Islam, but also by the narrative itself. But overall, the book is not like other Muslim-authored books that try to send a message about what Muslims should and shouldn't do, what Islam does and does not stand for. It simply shows the reality of a Muslim family struggling in NYC
* this is definitely not a YA novel, although the protagonist is 17/18 years old. You've been warned.
(P.S. something about the fall, the colder weather, the earlier sunsets makes me want to read dark/sad books. I think if I read this in the spring it would've been too sad for me. But this was perfect. So you need to go into this knowing that it's a very sad book that will make your heart ache. Fall is just starting--well, here in the northern hemisphere anyway--so it's the perfect time. This is also perfect for readers who loved All My Rage by Saba Taahir--but I feel like this book is even more complex and meant for an older/more mature audience.)
This book is sad. Yes there are happy, cozy, funny, and heartwarming moments. But ultimately, it's sad. Its goal is to show 18yo Amira's life over the course of the summer of 2016, and the challenges that come with being a second-generation Egyptian Muslim in NYC in a post-9/11 world. And...it's not easy.
The author did a really good job of showing how FBI surveillance of Muslims truly affects us--our masjids, our communities, our families, and all the way down to our individual selves.
Aisha Abdel Gawad is an amazing writer. I can't believe this is only her debut.
- prose: amazing, beautiful, vivid, haunting, eloquent. Every sentence - every WORD - matters, and was clearly chosen so carefully.
- the setting/worldbuilding: I feel like I know exactly what Bay Ridge, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, NYC, looks like. The way the author embedded it within her characters and embedded her characters within it is so beautiful.
- the characters: I can go on and on about this. But everything was handled so beautifully. No one here was surface level--even the tertiary characters had entire stories of their own, but it never felt like TMI. What I loved most, of course, was the way the family dynamic was handled. Each of Amira's siblings and parents were unique, had their own personalities, own arcs, own backstories, own relationships with each other. And unlike in YA novels* this book truly humanized the parents. The parents were neither absent nor antagonistic nor perfect/best friends. They were human, they try to parent their kids, and they love them more than anyone else, but they make mistakes, they struggle, they cry, they get hurt too.
- the concept of faith: faith is not the main point of conflict here, although it is an important part of Amira's worldview/identity. It is woven into the narrative beautifully. Amira struggles with her faith and her relationship with God, but I like that the book neither romanticized it nor antagonized it. It just felt so realistic.
I did not appreciate some of the comments made about Hajar alayha assalam. They don't come from our Islamic tradition and made me very uncomfortable. There are also a few times when Islam seems to be misinterpretted - not just by the character as someone who doesn't know much about Islam, but also by the narrative itself. But overall, the book is not like other Muslim-authored books that try to send a message about what Muslims should and shouldn't do, what Islam does and does not stand for. It simply shows the reality of a Muslim family struggling in NYC
* this is definitely not a YA novel, although the protagonist is 17/18 years old. You've been warned.
(P.S. something about the fall, the colder weather, the earlier sunsets makes me want to read dark/sad books. I think if I read this in the spring it would've been too sad for me. But this was perfect. So you need to go into this knowing that it's a very sad book that will make your heart ache. Fall is just starting--well, here in the northern hemisphere anyway--so it's the perfect time. This is also perfect for readers who loved All My Rage by Saba Taahir--but I feel like this book is even more complex and meant for an older/more mature audience.)
April 16, 2024
Although there are plenty of things I liked about Between Two Moons, the messy plot and unsatisfying character arcs ultimately hindered what could have been an emotionally resonant family drama. Unfolding over the span of one Ramadan, Between Two Moons is predominantly set in the Arab community of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The narrative centers on twin sisters, Amira and Lina, who have just graduated from high school and are savoring their final summer before stepping into adulthood. However, their carefree days are disrupted by the unexpected return of their older brother from prison. Their relationship with him is fraught with tension. Not only did he make their parents suffer, but as the ‘problem’ child he was very much the focus of the family. He was also a threatening presence to the twins, and his past behavior towards them is not altogether far from emotionally abusive.
To escape him and their parents fretting over him, the twins avoid spending too much time at home. Lina dreams of becoming a model and finds herself ensnared by a man who promises to have the connections to make her dreams a reality. Meanwhile, Amira, weary of being confined to the expectations of a ‘good Muslim daughter’, softly rebels by following her sister on her nightlife outings. Amira also comes across a ‘dashing’ man, whose intentions may not be as innocent as they seem.
There is a mystery subplot that feels really shoehorned in, one that not only detracts attention from the novel’s central dynamics but is ultimately ‘resolved’ in a very anticlimactic way. The use of multiple perspectives felt poorly handled as well, at times painting characters in a possibly sinister light, and now and again giving a chapter to a character other than our central character, Amira, but these chapters did not feel like glimpses into their lives but simply conformed to Amira’s view/assessment of that person.
I wish the focus could have remained on the three siblings, and that the narrative could have balanced their voices, rather than prioritizing Amira’s one. The other two characters suffer because of it. Lina’s experiences and character are reduced to the classic cautionary tale of the partygoer sexually active girl who actually just seeks (male) approval and inevitably ends up being ‘punished’ by the narrative for her lifestyle. The brother is presented almost as a sociopath early on, and we don’t really get to see what makes him change. He says ‘his piece’, later on, but it felt very rushed and almost unearned in terms of character growth/change. The parents are also severely ‘underused’, which is a pity as I think seeing more of them would have given us more of an understanding of their family.
Lots of time is spent on the quasi-romances the two sisters have, and here the narrative really doesn’t do this justice. Especially in addressing the uneven power dynamics between them (more than a whiff of grooming there). Both Amira and Lina are interested in older men, and their naivete here really took me out of the narrative. Sure, Amira is presented as sheltered, inexperienced, an ‘ingénue’ if you will. But she does spend a lot of her time with Lina and their mutual friend, both of whom have the kind of experiences she hasn’t had. Yet, other than one or two scenes where Lina makes some comments about the man Amira is crushing on, the story doesn’t really confront just how messed up that guy is. In fact, it almost presents their relationship as one of mutual push-and-pull. First of all, the guy is too old. Amira is what, 18? The guy is implied to be ‘older’, and is probably in his mid to late twenties. His motivations towards her are dubious from the get-go, Amira sort of picks up on his weird vibes but doesn’t really dig deeper, which was frustrating as she was shown as someone who wouldn’t be content with just accepting surface lies/excuses. But apparently, her critical thinking stops at men she is attracted to. I know she is temporarily ‘blindsided’ by her feelings, but for someone who is supposedly smart and is able to tell that Lina is being used by the man she is into, why doesn’t she think about the odd things her man says? Maybe if the story had not presented him as icky from the get-go, I could have bought into Amira not minding his sketchy behavior. Even at the end, her reaction to the ‘truth’ felt very underplayed. Like, this grown-ass man lied and manipulated you... when it came to these two I was getting Colleen Hoover vibes, which is never a good thing (i guess it’s okay for a traumatized man to be a trash human being?).
A lot of the scenes were very repetitive and seemed to paint Lina as a bad influence on Amira, with the parents being wholly unaware of what their daughters are getting up to. The author includes SA and revenge porn, but rather than addressing these, they felt like plot points thrown in to amp up the ‘drama’. I felt that the way the author went about was ultimately really shallow and inadvertently moralistic. Serious issues like these and the whole grooming undercurrents in the sisters’ relationships are mishandled and or rushed. And I can't stress it enough, I am so tired of fiction including sexually active young women—who are shown to enjoy partying, flirting and having/talking about sex—only to frame their lifestyles as cautionary tales (turns out that actually no, they have no agency). I am sick of this trope, especially when the character in question is a side character, one who will not be given the page time necessary to portray things like SA.
Speaking of page time, the siblings' fraught bond is given relatively little time to shine. This is a pity as there is tension there, tension and trauma that could have been explored with more depth. Because of this the finale felt very rushed in terms of character development and ends on an unsatisfying note.
The chapters following other characters were distracting as they detracted from what could have been a more intimate family drama.
Still, despite all my criticisms, I did find the writing itself to be compelling. The author has an ear for dialogue and for rendering time and place. I also appreciated the themes it sets out to explore: faith, identity, and belonging as a young Muslim girl in Brooklyn. Amira's questioning of what it means to be a 'good' Muslim is thought-provoking, and I appreciated the narrative's avoidance of presenting a simplistic, dualistic vision of Islam. Instead, it allows for the complexity and individuality of characters' experiences with religion and heritage.
I wish more could have been done when portraying how the sisters navigate that transition period between adolescence and adulthood, but the way the author goes about it was a bit too PSAs flavored. We ultimately don't learn too much about them (beyond the basics: one wants to go to college, the other wants to be a model) despite the time we spend with them. The author often relies on contrasting the sisters' personalities to establish their traits, which feels somewhat simplistic and limiting. The quasi-mystery storyline and multiple perspectives were messy and I can’t say that they worked for me.
Still, as I mentioned, there are aspects of this novel that were compelling, so if it happens to be on your radar I encourage you to give it a chance.
To escape him and their parents fretting over him, the twins avoid spending too much time at home. Lina dreams of becoming a model and finds herself ensnared by a man who promises to have the connections to make her dreams a reality. Meanwhile, Amira, weary of being confined to the expectations of a ‘good Muslim daughter’, softly rebels by following her sister on her nightlife outings. Amira also comes across a ‘dashing’ man, whose intentions may not be as innocent as they seem.
There is a mystery subplot that feels really shoehorned in, one that not only detracts attention from the novel’s central dynamics but is ultimately ‘resolved’ in a very anticlimactic way. The use of multiple perspectives felt poorly handled as well, at times painting characters in a possibly sinister light, and now and again giving a chapter to a character other than our central character, Amira, but these chapters did not feel like glimpses into their lives but simply conformed to Amira’s view/assessment of that person.
I wish the focus could have remained on the three siblings, and that the narrative could have balanced their voices, rather than prioritizing Amira’s one. The other two characters suffer because of it. Lina’s experiences and character are reduced to the classic cautionary tale of the partygoer sexually active girl who actually just seeks (male) approval and inevitably ends up being ‘punished’ by the narrative for her lifestyle. The brother is presented almost as a sociopath early on, and we don’t really get to see what makes him change. He says ‘his piece’, later on, but it felt very rushed and almost unearned in terms of character growth/change. The parents are also severely ‘underused’, which is a pity as I think seeing more of them would have given us more of an understanding of their family.
Lots of time is spent on the quasi-romances the two sisters have, and here the narrative really doesn’t do this justice. Especially in addressing the uneven power dynamics between them (more than a whiff of grooming there). Both Amira and Lina are interested in older men, and their naivete here really took me out of the narrative. Sure, Amira is presented as sheltered, inexperienced, an ‘ingénue’ if you will. But she does spend a lot of her time with Lina and their mutual friend, both of whom have the kind of experiences she hasn’t had. Yet, other than one or two scenes where Lina makes some comments about the man Amira is crushing on, the story doesn’t really confront just how messed up that guy is. In fact, it almost presents their relationship as one of mutual push-and-pull. First of all, the guy is too old. Amira is what, 18? The guy is implied to be ‘older’, and is probably in his mid to late twenties. His motivations towards her are dubious from the get-go, Amira sort of picks up on his weird vibes but doesn’t really dig deeper, which was frustrating as she was shown as someone who wouldn’t be content with just accepting surface lies/excuses. But apparently, her critical thinking stops at men she is attracted to. I know she is temporarily ‘blindsided’ by her feelings, but for someone who is supposedly smart and is able to tell that Lina is being used by the man she is into, why doesn’t she think about the odd things her man says? Maybe if the story had not presented him as icky from the get-go, I could have bought into Amira not minding his sketchy behavior. Even at the end, her reaction to the ‘truth’ felt very underplayed. Like, this grown-ass man lied and manipulated you... when it came to these two I was getting Colleen Hoover vibes, which is never a good thing (i guess it’s okay for a traumatized man to be a trash human being?).
A lot of the scenes were very repetitive and seemed to paint Lina as a bad influence on Amira, with the parents being wholly unaware of what their daughters are getting up to. The author includes SA and revenge porn, but rather than addressing these, they felt like plot points thrown in to amp up the ‘drama’. I felt that the way the author went about was ultimately really shallow and inadvertently moralistic. Serious issues like these and the whole grooming undercurrents in the sisters’ relationships are mishandled and or rushed. And I can't stress it enough, I am so tired of fiction including sexually active young women—who are shown to enjoy partying, flirting and having/talking about sex—only to frame their lifestyles as cautionary tales (turns out that actually no, they have no agency). I am sick of this trope, especially when the character in question is a side character, one who will not be given the page time necessary to portray things like SA.
Speaking of page time, the siblings' fraught bond is given relatively little time to shine. This is a pity as there is tension there, tension and trauma that could have been explored with more depth. Because of this the finale felt very rushed in terms of character development and ends on an unsatisfying note.
The chapters following other characters were distracting as they detracted from what could have been a more intimate family drama.
Still, despite all my criticisms, I did find the writing itself to be compelling. The author has an ear for dialogue and for rendering time and place. I also appreciated the themes it sets out to explore: faith, identity, and belonging as a young Muslim girl in Brooklyn. Amira's questioning of what it means to be a 'good' Muslim is thought-provoking, and I appreciated the narrative's avoidance of presenting a simplistic, dualistic vision of Islam. Instead, it allows for the complexity and individuality of characters' experiences with religion and heritage.
I wish more could have been done when portraying how the sisters navigate that transition period between adolescence and adulthood, but the way the author goes about it was a bit too PSAs flavored. We ultimately don't learn too much about them (beyond the basics: one wants to go to college, the other wants to be a model) despite the time we spend with them. The author often relies on contrasting the sisters' personalities to establish their traits, which feels somewhat simplistic and limiting. The quasi-mystery storyline and multiple perspectives were messy and I can’t say that they worked for me.
Still, as I mentioned, there are aspects of this novel that were compelling, so if it happens to be on your radar I encourage you to give it a chance.
June 23, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. I only finished reading the book to see if any of the characters repent, but the sinning just kept getting worse. Initially I enjoyed the descriptions of Islamic beliefs and Quran, but then the author started insulting well-respected and revered women in Islamic history, so I can’t recommend this book. Even if I could overlook and see some kind of symbolism there, the sex, drugs, alcohol, rape, and profanity all stop me from recommending this book. The story just kinds of ends, without any closure, but I wouldn’t wait for a sequel either.
June 7, 2023
What. A. Debut.
Shelved as '2023'
June 7, 2024📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday
August 2, 2024
Muslim girlhood is quite an experience. I know this, personally.
I don't quite know how I feel about this book yet. I'm still sitting in its aftermath, almost restless. I was brought back to the days of my childhood in my small neighbourhood near Toronto. Where I learned how to read namaz, looked forward to Ramadan and all the food we'd cook. I also remember feeling like an outcast among all the other Muslimah at the time. Living a double life while dreaming of finally leaving for somewhere new, somewhere "better".
Between Two Moons is a beautiful coming-of-age story. It's the kind of story where you're not sure what's happening, which can cause some restlessness. Despite that, you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat praying that what your mind is predicting doesn't happen. It's because you fall in love with the family and the residents of Bay Ridge. Reading this book the past three days, I felt I was living in Bay Ridge with them, grabbing mango juice, sitting on the curb watching boys play basketball, listening to Amr Diab.
I guess this book feels painfully familiar to me. I was almost waiting for something grand to happen as I went through the chapters; however, the small moments, the glances and words exchanged, the confessions, and the revelations felt monumental. Not to say that nothing substantial happens in this book, because a lot happens. But, Aisha beautifully illustrated how, as Muslim teenaged girl, sometimes being honest and forthcoming seems to be the hardest thing in the world.
Edit after a year later: Wow, this is still one of my favourites and it feels like it was written for me. I’m giving this a 5/5 now.
“There’s a chapter of the Qur’an called “Comfort,” sometimes translated as “Consolation” or “Solace.” And in it, a verse: “With every hardship there is ease. With every hardship there is ease.” The same line repeated twice, in case we have trouble believing it the first time. In case we have a hard time recognizing ease even when it is offered to us, even when it is served to us on a white plate. In case we are drowning in our hardship and cannot see those tiny life rafts of ease—soft potatoes, meat slow-roasted to velvet, your mother’s laugh trilling gently in your ear.”
I don't quite know how I feel about this book yet. I'm still sitting in its aftermath, almost restless. I was brought back to the days of my childhood in my small neighbourhood near Toronto. Where I learned how to read namaz, looked forward to Ramadan and all the food we'd cook. I also remember feeling like an outcast among all the other Muslimah at the time. Living a double life while dreaming of finally leaving for somewhere new, somewhere "better".
Between Two Moons is a beautiful coming-of-age story. It's the kind of story where you're not sure what's happening, which can cause some restlessness. Despite that, you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat praying that what your mind is predicting doesn't happen. It's because you fall in love with the family and the residents of Bay Ridge. Reading this book the past three days, I felt I was living in Bay Ridge with them, grabbing mango juice, sitting on the curb watching boys play basketball, listening to Amr Diab.
I guess this book feels painfully familiar to me. I was almost waiting for something grand to happen as I went through the chapters; however, the small moments, the glances and words exchanged, the confessions, and the revelations felt monumental. Not to say that nothing substantial happens in this book, because a lot happens. But, Aisha beautifully illustrated how, as Muslim teenaged girl, sometimes being honest and forthcoming seems to be the hardest thing in the world.
Edit after a year later: Wow, this is still one of my favourites and it feels like it was written for me. I’m giving this a 5/5 now.
“There’s a chapter of the Qur’an called “Comfort,” sometimes translated as “Consolation” or “Solace.” And in it, a verse: “With every hardship there is ease. With every hardship there is ease.” The same line repeated twice, in case we have trouble believing it the first time. In case we have a hard time recognizing ease even when it is offered to us, even when it is served to us on a white plate. In case we are drowning in our hardship and cannot see those tiny life rafts of ease—soft potatoes, meat slow-roasted to velvet, your mother’s laugh trilling gently in your ear.”
May 1, 2023
this was kind of a crazy book to read on a road trip but damn it had me sucked IN the whole drive to and from denton. i love that it takes place during the course of a ramadan, i love that it's about sisterhood and community and the fragile connections of family, i love that the characters are messy and vibrant and funny and REAL, i love this little slice of life into a pocket of bay ridge that i've never gotten to read much about. and all in a debut! (and ok, i didn't really love the pov switches and some parts felt like they could've used some cutting/editing, but i'm not too mad about getting to spend more time in this world that aisha abdel gawad created.)
May 5, 2024
Amazing. Cannot recommend this book enough. I need to sit on it for a moment, but hopefully a full review is to come!
September 25, 2023
The family structure makes it nearly impossible not to compare it to A Place for Us, and we all know how I feel about that book. I was in at the start, then I slogged through the middle (partly just my own reading slump), and I waffled through the end. Even though the stakes were definitely high, I never really latched onto anyone in particular. And while the last chapter is well done, the lack of a definitive ending for so many storylines annoyed me.
April 7, 2024
Aisha Abdel Gawad's debut novel, Between Two Moons, is set during Ramadan in the Arab-American Muslim community of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, which suffers under the weight of heavy surveillance, suspicion and Islamophobia. It's told almost entirely from the perspective of teenage, Egyptian-American hijabi Amira, who has just graduated from high school and is figuring out what to do with the rest of her life; as ever, her twin sister, Lina, is the rebellious one, off drinking and having sex while Amira covers for her. The sisters' world is rocked when their older brother Sami is released from prison after six years, which turns their family dynamic upside down. Meanwhile, a raid on a local business foreshadows more racial violence directed at their community.
There's much to like about Gawad's writing. Her prose is clear, fluid and readable. Between Two Moons is a loving portrait of a very particular world, and her depiction of the twins and their family shines: no flat stereotypes here, despite the familiar set-up. I appreciated the way she explores how Amira realistically negotiates her own identity, neither rejecting her heritage nor simply accepting tradition. For me, though, this felt like a YA coming-of-age novel that I'd read many times before, with predictable narrative beats (despite a quiet, satisfying twist near the end): sexual experimentation with dodgy men, alcohol, prejudice, social media drama, tensions with parents. It's certainly a great example of this particular sub-genre, but nothing about it especially stood out. Although other members of Amira's community occasionally narrate brief interludes in the text, I'd have loved this to be a more polyphonic novel rather than focusing on the point of view of a single teenager. I'm keen to read whatever Gawad writes next, though. 3.5 stars.
Thanks so much to Nicole Magas at Zgstories for sourcing a free copy of this book from the publisher for me.
There's much to like about Gawad's writing. Her prose is clear, fluid and readable. Between Two Moons is a loving portrait of a very particular world, and her depiction of the twins and their family shines: no flat stereotypes here, despite the familiar set-up. I appreciated the way she explores how Amira realistically negotiates her own identity, neither rejecting her heritage nor simply accepting tradition. For me, though, this felt like a YA coming-of-age novel that I'd read many times before, with predictable narrative beats (despite a quiet, satisfying twist near the end): sexual experimentation with dodgy men, alcohol, prejudice, social media drama, tensions with parents. It's certainly a great example of this particular sub-genre, but nothing about it especially stood out. Although other members of Amira's community occasionally narrate brief interludes in the text, I'd have loved this to be a more polyphonic novel rather than focusing on the point of view of a single teenager. I'm keen to read whatever Gawad writes next, though. 3.5 stars.
Thanks so much to Nicole Magas at Zgstories for sourcing a free copy of this book from the publisher for me.
June 15, 2023
i have been trying to think about how to formulate the words i have re this novel for a few hours now, and it is really difficult. aisha abdel gawad does such a good job of flitting between the micro—amira’s personal feelings and emotions as she finishes one chapter of her life and goes into the next, of dealing with the complicated dynamics within her family—and the macro—of the people of bay bridge, and how it deals with multiple events that threaten their community—all within the context of ramadan, a time of spiritual renewal and mindfulness. even the title, between two moons, is both a literal reference to ramadan, a month between two moons, and a metaphor . The Story Has Layers, and i feel like there is so much to unpack here, and even if i tried, there would be stuff i wouldn’t understand because i lack the cultural/religious context.
the book evokes so many feelings. the general ick of the guys that lina and amira are seeing, the general sense of not knowing who to trust, but more importantly, this sense of dread that sort of settled upon me every time i read this book. i was constantly worried something bad was going to happen, and it got worse as i increasingly got more attached to amira, to her family, and her community.
the one thing i’m going to take away from this novel is the theme of family and community. family and community can be the ones that can hurt you, and can make you feel small. but if there is enough love in said family/community, then they often come through for you in the end.
i can’t find a content/trigger warning for this novel, but i feel like it should be worth noting that it requires one:
the book evokes so many feelings. the general ick of the guys that lina and amira are seeing, the general sense of not knowing who to trust, but more importantly, this sense of dread that sort of settled upon me every time i read this book. i was constantly worried something bad was going to happen, and it got worse as i increasingly got more attached to amira, to her family, and her community.
the one thing i’m going to take away from this novel is the theme of family and community. family and community can be the ones that can hurt you, and can make you feel small. but if there is enough love in said family/community, then they often come through for you in the end.
i can’t find a content/trigger warning for this novel, but i feel like it should be worth noting that it requires one:
September 20, 2023
There’s a chapter of the Qur’an called “Comfort,” sometimes translated as “Consolation” or “Solace.” And in it, a verse: “With every hardship there is ease. With every hardship there is ease.” The same line repeated twice, in case we have trouble believing it the first time. In case we have a hard time recognizing ease even when it is offered to us, even when it is served to us on a white plate. In case we are drowning in our hardship and cannot see those tiny life rafts of ease—soft potatoes, meat slow-roasted to velvet, your mother’s laugh trilling gently in your ear.
-------
dang. that was beautifully written but also heartbreaking what the heck. i don't have the words to convey my feelings about this, especially because it resonates in such personal and painful ways
i hope to read more from this author, inshaAllah. I'm in love with her prose and the way she develops characters, as well as the community of Bay Ridge
September 20, 2023
there is nothing in this life worse than being seventeen bro
May 14, 2024
This debut novel is cleverly set within the month of Ramadan, a time of abstention. In this way, Gawad emphasizes the tension between faith and the temptations of alcohol and sex. Egyptian-American twin sisters Amira and Lina Emam are on the cusp, about to graduate from high school and go their separate ways. Lina wants to be a model and is dating a nightclub manager she hopes can make this a reality; Amira, ever the sensible one, is college-bound. But then she meets her first boyfriend, Faraj, and lets Lina drag her into a reckless partying lifestyle. “I was seized with that summertime desire of girls: to push my body to its limits.” Meanwhile, the girls’ older brother, Sami, just home from prison, is finding it a challenge to integrate back into the family and their Bay Ridge mosque, reeling from a raid on a Muslim-owned neighbourhood business and a senseless attack on the old imam.
I feared that a tired terrorism plot would surface and was relieved when this wasn’t the case, although there is a passionate message about the injustice of police surveillance of Muslim communities. It does at times feel like an adult is producing YA fiction. It’s proficiently written and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into an unfamiliar world, but the novel never truly sparked into life for me. It also commits one of my pet peeves: inserting third-person segments to fill in events that the narrator could not have witnessed (while referring to the other characters as “the mother,” “the boy,” or “the other girl”). One to put on high school curricula but not on a prize list (this was longlisted for the Carol Shields Prize).
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
I feared that a tired terrorism plot would surface and was relieved when this wasn’t the case, although there is a passionate message about the injustice of police surveillance of Muslim communities. It does at times feel like an adult is producing YA fiction. It’s proficiently written and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into an unfamiliar world, but the novel never truly sparked into life for me. It also commits one of my pet peeves: inserting third-person segments to fill in events that the narrator could not have witnessed (while referring to the other characters as “the mother,” “the boy,” or “the other girl”). One to put on high school curricula but not on a prize list (this was longlisted for the Carol Shields Prize).
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
August 15, 2023
A coming of age story that wrestles with what it means to be a child of immigrants, an Arab living in post 9/11 New York City, a woman, and a person of faith. So much nuance and a great sense of place. I loved learning about Islam though the characters as well.
May 14, 2024
“In that moment on the couch—and that whole summer, in fact—I was strung up between two moons. My left arm reached toward the blurrier, bloodier of the two: Sami. And my right arm reached toward the brighter, rounder one: Lina. Allah said: “We have ordained phases for the moon, which daily wanes and in the end appears like a bent old twig.” We were all still made of the same essential matter. We were just at different stages: Lina always full, pouring down on us her burning, bright light; Sami eclipsed, hanging, a blurry red mess in the sky that no one could bear to look at for too long. And me? That summer, I was the twig.”
Objectively, this must be a fantastic book. But what are book reviews if not subjective ideas on a subjective piece of media. There was a love hate relationship between me and this book.
I hate anything about the war on terror and the anxieties it brings with it. I hated the first half of this book. I hated how Hajar AS was spoken about, a slave, a rape victim, a whore, a woman with no agency. I hated the way Muslims were portrayed in the first half, albeit through a teenage girls eyes. Like no Muslims really care about Islam and it’s all a game of charades and pretend.
But the second half I loved. I loved the prose, the painting of relationships, the making and breaking of the family. I adored the reflections that featured verses of the Quran and stories of the prophets- although they weren’t always correct interpretations. I loved Amoora and her mama. I loved Baba. Sami and Lina I wanted to love. I felt so much empathy for poor broken Sami, who represents so many of our boys in the diaspora. Lost to anger to crime to violence to surveillance to the system. Lina made me so angry, and that may just be due to good writing and my seeing this world through Amira’s eyes.
The end, there was no perfect ending or resolution but the portrayal of that summer was so real and raw and poetic that I couldn’t ask for anything else.
Objectively, this must be a fantastic book. But what are book reviews if not subjective ideas on a subjective piece of media. There was a love hate relationship between me and this book.
I hate anything about the war on terror and the anxieties it brings with it. I hated the first half of this book. I hated how Hajar AS was spoken about, a slave, a rape victim, a whore, a woman with no agency. I hated the way Muslims were portrayed in the first half, albeit through a teenage girls eyes. Like no Muslims really care about Islam and it’s all a game of charades and pretend.
But the second half I loved. I loved the prose, the painting of relationships, the making and breaking of the family. I adored the reflections that featured verses of the Quran and stories of the prophets- although they weren’t always correct interpretations. I loved Amoora and her mama. I loved Baba. Sami and Lina I wanted to love. I felt so much empathy for poor broken Sami, who represents so many of our boys in the diaspora. Lost to anger to crime to violence to surveillance to the system. Lina made me so angry, and that may just be due to good writing and my seeing this world through Amira’s eyes.
The end, there was no perfect ending or resolution but the portrayal of that summer was so real and raw and poetic that I couldn’t ask for anything else.
January 5, 2024
This is a really special and poignant and profound coming of age story. 3.5 stars because I thought the pacing was too slow and I’m not the biggest fan of the ending— I felt like some other threads were still unfinished, but not in a purposeful way
December 31, 2023
i don’t know what i was expecting when i picked this up for my book club, but woah this is easily becoming one of my favorites of the year. i love how this year i’ve read so much more from women of color writing about the complicated emotions and trauma and nuances and everything about growing up in their cultures in America. this book unpacks growing up muslim and arab-american in new york/america as a young young woman and it is so important to learn and read about from the perspective of teenage girls. the theme of family comes through consistently in this book and i love how the main characters were the kids but we learned so much about the parents and grew to love them as separate beings from the main characters.
July 8, 2023
What an amazing book! Told mostly from the voice of teenage Amira, this story shows the life of a Muslim family in NYC during Ramadan, 'between two moons.' But it's also between being an assimilated teenager in America and a faithful Muslim. Which shall she choose? Who does she want to be? This story kept me turning the pages until the very end. I stopped often to learn some of the terms used in the Muslim faith, realizing how little I know about Muslims and Muslims in America.
Highly recommend! First novel from what will be a great career.
Highly recommend! First novel from what will be a great career.
February 10, 2024
Wow. This one was hard to finish. It ended at the climax, and I suppose the ending is the point of the story. It sucked. No closure. Only sadness, anger, disbelief, and so many questions, and because this unknowing is the point, it’s heartbreaking and provocative. The drama feels real and realistic, and undoubtedly, stories like this one happen everyday.
September 7, 2023
I wanted to enjoy this so badly, especially because the reviews mention how this is such a cogent reflection of the Arab American experience (which I could certainly do with knowing more about). DNF because I can’t find interest in the writing.
June 26, 2023
A searing yet subtle look at what it is to be Muslim in American society. I devoured this over a weekend, and Aisha’s lush language kept me captivated.
This is a terrific debut.
This is a terrific debut.
July 19, 2024
this book is so stunning yet sad and heavy yet hopeful. such breathtaking writing, every word feels so deliberate and intentional (I can’t believe this is a debut???). a brutally honest portrayal of the surveillance of muslim/arab/brown communities in a post-9/11 world
December 11, 2023
I loved this book.
December 25, 2024
it's good, seems too real, I didn't expect the characters to be so 'real'. I don't know if real is the correct word. More like, most of the books I read with muslim characters are either very strict muslims or denounce Islam. It is interesting to see that this book doesn't share that. It shows different groups of muslims which can be good I guess. I like this book and its characters because even though I know groups of practicing and conservative muslims who don't act anything like these girls, I also know muslims who act like these girls and they are still proud of being muslim similarly to how the real people are which is cool.
I tend to find in books where the characters are not practicing muslims or very outwardly sinning muslims, they denounce faith and it is sad. I am a believer that a sinning muslim is still a muslim and it is always important to turn back to Allah. It seems these characters feel similarly. Not saying sinning is good, just saying its cool to see people not lose their faith if they sin because that is when you need Allah swt the most.
I tend to find in books where the characters are not practicing muslims or very outwardly sinning muslims, they denounce faith and it is sad. I am a believer that a sinning muslim is still a muslim and it is always important to turn back to Allah. It seems these characters feel similarly. Not saying sinning is good, just saying its cool to see people not lose their faith if they sin because that is when you need Allah swt the most.
January 11, 2024
3.5. veers between a 2 and a 4? because I just can’t make up my mind some parts are brilliant and raw and make me feel so seen ( although it’s weird to think soon I’ll be past the coming of age stage?) And other parts are questionable, terrible overdone characterization of Muslims with the same themes of shame, sex, and post 9/11 Islamophobia that you see basically in every other book. Quranic verses are sprinkled throughout the book and everytime I come across one it just reminds me of Netflix putting a hijabi character for the sake of representation??? I liked how much depth the three siblings had, and their parents. there is a certain authenticity to the book that made it impossible for me to dnf, although the book didn’t really seem like it had a point until like 80 percent through. I think she captured some of the inner monologues and confusion of being a second generation Muslim in America pretty well. It’s a book I think I’ll need to reread to properly decide whether I love it or hate it. It just frustrates me how a lot of Muslim / Pakistani mc books often boil down to the same plot points and themes?? echoes of all my rage my Saba tahir and love from A to Z can definitely be seen in this book too and it’s kind of like??? I liked how the end of the book came full circle though, but honestly a lot of the characters were confusing to the point there were serious plot holes in their actions??? KAMILA shamsi remains the only author I feel who can somewhat capture the experience of Muslims and Pakistanis. I wanted to get into more similar fiction in 2024, so youlll see me reading a lot more books like this. Honestly just searching for authors who get it even better than shamsi.
July 15, 2023
DNF at 20%. I wanted to like this. I actually felt as hot and miserable and angsty as Amira. The parts featuring her and her sister were compelling and I was curious about her brother’s situation. Unfortunately, the story went from interesting to boring with the turn of a page or two and continued to move forward in the same back and forth way. I don’t have the stamina for a book that ultimately doesn’t go anywhere. I was afraid I’d be hot and miserable for 350+ pages.
April 3, 2024
A beautiful and multi-layered story about sisterhood, siblinghood, complex family issues, Muslim identity, what it means to be a woman, what it means to be a Muslim woman and what it means to be a Muslim in a post-9/11 world. The ending is heartbreaking but that is how reality can be. Please give this a read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews