Love from Mecca to Medina

January 27, 2023

Gr 8 Up-A deeply spiritual and religious pilgrimage will test the marriage connection of a young couple in this sequel to Love From A to Z. It's been four years since Adam and Zayneb met, fell in love, and eventually married. Despite their love and union, Zayneb is in Chicago pursuing her law degree, while Adam is in Doha working on being an artist. Both are struggling in some way, but when the opportunity for Adam to do Umrah, a traditional pilgrimage to Mecca, presents itself, he pushes hard to make it happen. His multiple sclerosis diagnosis has changed everything for him, and despite his shaky health, he wants to travel to Mecca with Zayneb. During the trip, increasing challenges will distance the couple, and they will have to ask themselves if love can transcend it all. This novel is told in alternating points of view, and it's simultaneously realistic and frustrating how each main character is always "sparing" their spouse's feelings, where open communication would have solved most problems. Zayneb's increasing anxiety and jealousy is hard to stomach, but readers will also empathize with her struggles. The pilgrimage technicalities and religious language can be difficult for non-Muslims to understand, but it's a great insight into the modern Islamic world. VERDICT A good purchase for large collections and especially libraries serving Muslim populations.-Carol Youssif

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Starred review from October 1, 2022
Grades 10-12 *Starred Review* Since Adam and Zayneb met in Love from A to Z (2019), they have had their nikah done (the official Muslim marriage ceremony) but have yet to exist in blissful coupledom. Adam, still living in Doha while Zayneb completes law school in Chicago, is worried about providing for her as his art commissions shrink to nothing. Zayneb, meanwhile, is dealing with less than ideal housing conditions Adam and her family know nothing about while also being accused of mismanaging funds from the Muslim Student Association she led years before. Both expect all their stress to fall away over Thanksgiving break when they're supposed to meet in a cozy cottage in Essex--that is, until Umrah (pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina) sounds more sensible while Adam's MS is in remission. What starts as a sacred journey of devotion and clarity turns exhausting as one obstacle after another works to wedge the couple apart. The most joyous aspect of this novel is how unequivocally and unapologetically Muslim it is, as Islamic customs are celebrated and Adam and Zayneb's decisions are examined through a non-Western lens. Switching between the couple's first-person points of view and an occasional foreshadowing third, Ali's sequel is a strong portrayal of early love that readers of all backgrounds can relate to--triumphs, messes, and all.

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Starred review from August 1, 2022
Though intending to grow closer in their devotions, Adam Chen's and Zayneb Malik's insecurities and the fractures in their relationship are amplified in this follow-up to Love From A to Z (2019). Islamically married but living apart--Adam's in Doha and Zayneb's in Chicago--the couple meet for short international getaways while Zayneb finishes law school. They're both hiding internal stressors: Adam's art gigs and income have dried up, and Zayneb faces unstable housing, and old scandals linked to the undergraduate Muslim Student Association's leadership threaten her future in international human rights. Eagerly awaiting a romantic reprieve in an English cottage, Zayneb is disappointed when Adam, who's in a period of remission from multiple sclerosis, suggests they instead make Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Zayneb is sorely tested when Adam's old crush is a leader of their Umrah group who seemingly tries to keep the couple apart. The novel's dual narrative structure references a curated selection of artifacts as it considers faith and emotion in ways that are unapologetically Muslim and entirely human. Adam and Zayneb draw from prophetic examples and Quranic stories to strengthen their faith and interrogate injustices--both Western democracies' double standards and intragroup oppression. The examinations of their inner selves, vulnerabilities, feelings of self-worth, and growing codependence are religiously framed and skillfully navigated. Rich descriptive details immerse readers in the landscape of Islamic history. A contemplative exploration of faith, love, and the human condition. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-18)

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