The Beauty of Your Face: A Novel

I loved this book! The Beauty of Your Face opens with Afaf Rahman, the principal of a Muslim school for girls in the Chicago suburbs, following her usual routines at the start of another school day. Then a shooter enters the building. In scenes that alternate between the present day and the past, we discover how Afaf’s journey since childhood has led her to be in this place on this terrible day. The US-born daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Afaf endures racism, family trauma, and a troubled adolescence before finding healing and a new purpose through her Islamic faith and the community of women that sustains her. Now, as her beloved school is terrorized by the mass shooter, she faces the ultimate test of her ideals. Nuanced, rich in detail, and ultimately hopeful, The Beauty of Your Face is a suspenseful read that will enlighten you and haunt you.

The characters are so well-written that you instantly become immersed in their world. I appreciated that the author wove in the experiences of a non-religious Arab-American family and the effect of some family members finding their way back to Islam while others didn’t. As a daughter with a history of maternal abandonment and a disappeared sister myself, and also being a Western convert to Islam, I found that Afaf’s words resonated deeply for me throughout the novel. A meaningful and timely novel and one I will recommend widely to friends.

This book takes the reader inside the challenge of being an immigrant and the child of immigrants in the U.S. Fiction is important because it immerses and informs a reader on a personal level. This story will move you and perhaps change your mind about women you see in hajibs.

The Beauty of Your Face is the story of a Palestinian-American which is why I wanted to read it. However, as I read the novel, I started to realize that the feelings of inadequacy, contempt for family dynamics, loss, and the burden of lifelong grief are universal. The reader can find parts of Afaf that they can identify with no matter where they’re from. Sahar Mustafah’s writing style transports the reader from reality to another family member of Afaf’s- as though the reader is there as another sibling watching everything happen from the kitchen table. Your heart will break. You will root for Afaf, you’ll see bits of yourself and your parents in her and your own parents, and you’ll walk away realizing that we’re all more similar than different as we navigate this journey of life. I could not put it down, and I read it one day. If you’re looking for a novel that will give you a cathartic experience- this is it. Absolutely stunning work.

This is a beautifully written and heart-wrenching debut novel of a Palestinian immigrant family and how each member copes and assimilates—or not—in America. It is expertly framed by a school shooting that continually reminds us of the story’s relevance in the immediate present as it weaves its way back and forth from the family’s post 9/11 arrival. Mustafah draws rich characters with complicated and sympathetic arcs. The story is told through the point of view of a daughter’s journey of personal discovery as she learns to blend tradition and opportunity, while coping with racism, discrimination and the trials of her parents and siblings. She shows us the best and the worst of this new world, and the powerful tug of the one left behind. You’ll care deeply about each of the characters and find them hard to let go. The narration of the audiobook is exceptional.

My book club decided to read this book. I just finished and the first thing I can say is wow. It encompasses so much - weaving from the present to the past seamlessly, and showing the multi layered experience of the main character as a muslim in America, finding her way and having tragedy and terror head on. One of the strengths of the book is it doesn't tell you what to think, but paints vivid pictures and almost forces you to ask questions. Strong writing, and despite the heavy topic the book feels somewhat warm and hopeful, while recognizing the realities of life for many. There are in some ways heroes and villians in the story, but each one has parts of the opposite role, and we see how people change with their environment and stressors. This book is powerful.

This novel is not only beautifully written but it also takes you on an unexpected journey. When you first begin the novel you think that it will focus on the school shooting, but instantly after we are taken to the past and to a girl who is searching for herself. As a Palestinian American I respect the voice that Sahar gives to the main protagonist. She develops a multi dimensional character that anyone of us can relate to and the problems that she faces are all that either one of us has encountered in our own journeys to find our place in this world. I finished this book in a few days and could have finished it in one setting if I had the opportunity. I will definitely share this story with family and friends. It’s one of the rare gems that has a lot to say and makes you feel.

A beautiful and devastating novel I read in one day because I simply could not put it down. The writing is stunning, and the characters are complex, flawed, and broken, with each one playing an important part in the main character’s journey through life. Having a very minimal knowledge of Islam, I was fascinated to learn more and understand how much it shapes the incredibly strong and peaceful woman Afaf eventually becomes. I don’t remember the last time I was this engrossed and moved by a book, and I shall be thinking about it for days to come. Highly recommend!

Hardback copy is of good quality