Reviews
"Scheherazad as a postcolonial feminist in New Jersey? It works. Poignant but defiantly unsentimental, these encouraging poems from Syrian-born Kahf reconfigure the Arab American experience."
--Library Journal
"Kahf astutely considers the myriad conundrums and frustrations of women's lives in general and Muslim women in particular, and she is brilliantly wry and utterly irresistible in such show-stoppers as her poem about a walk-out staged by all the chilly and hungry female nudes and odalisques in a Matisse retrospective."
--Booklist
"This evocative collection of poetry by a Syrian American creates characters and tells stories on a budget of well-chosen words that have a high emotional impact. . . . Most unique and satisfying is that these poems offer a glimpse into the intimate thoughts and fellings of Arabs new to America, who come from ancient lands with rich histories and a different set of social norms. . . . A fresh perspective on American multiculturalism."
--Multicultural Review
"A remarkable debut. . . . These poems are to be read, reread, and sent to poetry readers around the country."
--Bloomsbury Review
"Mohja Kahf poems perform. They come out of the page and force you to pay attention to them. Every poem, every line tells a story. A story that tells another story. . . . These poems manifest beauty and inspire us to search for more."
--H-NET REV IEWS
"Kahf . . . draws sharp, funny, earthy portraits of the fault line separating Muslim women from their Western counterparts.
--New York Times