American Dervish: A Novel

American Dervish is a terrific coming of age story. What makes it particularly stand out is that the protagonist, Hayat Shah, a 12-year-old Muslim boy isn't simply the victim of selfish parents or bullying schoolmates. He has a petty and vindictive side, too, and the novel focuses on the lifelong guilt he feels over one particularly cruel act that he's convinced changed the course of his "auntie's" life. The auntie, Mina, comes to America to live with Hayat's family after her arranged marriage in Pakistan fell apart because of her meddlesome and overbearing mother-in-law. But when her husband divorced her, he threatened to take custody of their son when the boy turned seven. To help her escape that fate, Hayat's mother, who was a childhood friend of Mina's, lets her and her son come live with them at their home in Milwaukee. Through Mina, a brilliant and religious woman, Hayat learns about Islam and the Quran for the first time. Hayat's father, Naveed, lost his faith after his sister died when the two were teenagers and he has nothing but contempt for the religious Pakistanis in their town, whom he sees as ignorant, backward, and hypocritical. Mina uses the Quran to teach Hayat how to appreciate every aspect of life and to live with ultimate humility before God's graces. She makes him want to become a "hafiz," someone who memorizes many verses of the Quran. Hayat believes that if he does, both he and his parents will get into heaven - a possibility that fills him with great hope because he worries that otherwise his father's philandering and drinking will make him burn in hell. The beautiful Mina is more than a religious inspiration to the naïve Hayat. At 12, he still does not know what sex is, isn't even sure if women have different parts than men, and when he starts having wet dreams, he doesn't know what's happening to him. Without understanding anything about sex, Mina is his first crush - a situation that becomes all the more complicated when he catches Mina in the middle of the night naked in the bathroom and on the verge of touching herself. As aroused as that image of her makes him, he doesn't use it for his own masturbatory fantasy, but instead tries to become more devout. But when Mina meets and falls in love with his father's partner, Nathan, Hayat does all he can to destroy that relationship, out of jealousy and because Nathan is Jewish. When Mina herself realizes the relationship with Nathan won't work because of their religious differences, her family's objections, and her son's desire for a father who isn't white, she settles for a marriage to a weak and mentally unstable but domineering Muslim man, and Hayat has to deal with years of guilt for sabotaging her one chance at happiness. Hayat's mother is a particularly strong character. She suffers the constant humiliation of her husband's affairs and opens up to her son about far more than she should, but when Mina lashes out at Hayat for trying to poison her son's mind about the prospects of a Jewish stepfather, Hayat's mother comes to her son defense and lets her best friend know she'll kill her even she ever touches her son again. Overall, this is a courageous book and one that offers a not very flattering look at the anti-semitism and misogyny of a small group of Muslims who use the Quran to justify their hatred of the Jews and, in some cases, men's right to beat their women. But this community of Muslims is no different, I suppose, than the Christian right when they use the Bible to justify homophobia. Here, Mina, provides the thoughtful counterbalance, by showing the goodness and humility the Quran can inspire when interpretations of it aren't use to justify mean-spiritedness and cruelty. There is a lot of wonderful moral complexity to consider here. Is Hayat responsible for Mina's fate or is Mina the one who set the ball in motion by filling his head with verses from the Quran and leading him to a mosque that would never accept Jews? Did Hayat's one sabotaging act truly alter the course of Mina's life or did she make free choices along the way? It's a lot to ponder, and the author deserves considerable accolades for embedding these issues inside a highly entertaining and moving story with so many great, fully rounded characters.

American Dervish is the kind of book that you don’t want to put down after you start reading. The plot is constantly propelling forward, and the story is simultaneously light and heart-wrenching.This book focuses on the trials and challenges of a Muslim-American family in Milwaukee, WI, and is written from the perspective of Hayat—a [nine] year old boy. Encountering the relatable twists and turns of adolescence, Hayat begins to develop romantic feelings toward his “aunt” Mina, a family friend from Pakistan who has fled a dangerous home situation and has moved in with Hayat’s family in America along with her four year old son. As Hayat and Mina grow closer, they develop a trusting relationship based on time spent studying and learning the Qur’an together.This all changes when Nathan, another family friend, enters the scene. As Nathan and Mina begin to fall in love, suddenly Hayat’s world seems to be turned upside down—the love of his life has seemingly betrayed him, and for someone who is Jewish. Unexpectedly hurled into the world of interfaith relations and dialogue, Hayat struggles to understand how this new relationship should be approached. In addition to the internal conflict that Hayat experiences as he tries to determine his thoughts about the coexistence of religious traditions, he simultaneously witnesses the slew of negative repercussions stemming from the relationship that affect his family and the community around him.The young point of view that readers receive in this novel is refreshing, honest, and raw—children are often much more perceptive to interpersonal dynamics than adults give them credit for. By offering an innocent perspective, readers are exposed to the inconvenient and confusing aspects of interfaith relationships that often don’t get talked about.However, there are also some issues within this book. While the plot is constantly moving forward, it does so at the risk of being considered melodramatic at times. While many of the issues that take place within the Muslim-American families in this book are not dilemmas strictly limited to Islam (rather, they are human dilemmas), it is still slightly concerning that so many stereotypical issues arise. Even if the link between these negative events and the religious tradition of Islam is not intended, I worry that in a post 9/11 world readers will be more willing to make those connections and jump to conclusions. This is not to say that inconvenient truths should be avoided, but it does seem that this book is excessively dramatic at points.That being said, this book does a great job of shedding light on the complexity and nuances of an interfaith relationship—along with the impact that it can have on a large scope of people. The slowly maturing narrative voice of Hayat gives readers an opportunity to grow along with him, deepening their understanding of interfaith dynamics while reminiscing on the familiar trials of puberty. As he ponders labels and barriers, the audience is invited to take a step back and do the same. All in all, this book is both entertaining and thought provoking; I would recommend American Dervish to those who are looking for a book which challenges perspective on multiple levels. (3.5 stars)

I liked this book a lot. The Kindle version included an interview with the author at the end, which was helpful in getting a perspective on the different views of religion in the book, as well as the Muslim experience in America. It also included a list of discussion questions for a book group. And I really liked the "playlist," which was a list of songs important to the author when he was a youth of Pakistani extraction growing up near Milwaukee, and songs he listened to while writing the novel. Great addition. It reminded me of getting a jazz cd as a bonus with a Michael Connelly novel, something else I enjoyed.As for the book itself, I really enjoyed it. The writing is good, but occasionally a little unsubtle. It read fast. The author says it was cut to about half its original length, and I suspect that editing helped a lot. I really got the sense that I learned something of the Muslim experience in a thoughtful young man. The book was also a coming of age tale. It reminded me of my own youth in some ways, in a Christian tradition, and led me to reflect on the development of sexuality and religious fervor, and how the two may be connected. And it made me think of the development of fanaticism, something many adolescents may dabble with, though most do not adopt for long. Overall, I think it is an enjoyable read, which also touches on some very important topics.

Very beautifully written. Though it's all about faith and religion it never feels like a religious book. Very compelling storyline. It takes you through teenage years of a Muslim boy and his complicated family ,his relationship with his aunt and his relationship with God, andabout Muslim religion . But it feels universal and beyond any religion. It's must read

In the weird world of 2021, with pandemic, racial hatred, cross-cultural lack of understanding - and more - this book is helpful in explaining what religious zeal and hatred can do to a 12 year old child. Fascinating.

nice book,makes you smile and cry in the same time, it's quite sad story but force you to think deeply about it and make your own opinion,sometimes it's hard to decide on which side you are, or what way is better one. I couldn't wait to finish work so I could read it. It's a real page turner and I would recomend it to everyone who likes to read books which make them think about it even long after you finished reading it:-)

Hayat Shah is a young Pakistani-American boy, growing up in a moderate to secular Muslim family in Wisconsin in the 1970s and 80s. When Hayat is 10 years old, his beautiful, intelligent and deeply religious aunt Mina arrives from Pakistan to stay with his family. Hayat adores Mina, and to win her affection, he begins to embrace Islam and study the Quran, slowly becoming more and more radical in his thoughts and actions. When Mina suddenly falls in love with a Jewish man, young Hayat is horrified by what he now sees as a betrayal to his faith by the person he loves and admires the most. His violent reaction throws the family into a deep crisis, as they struggle to maintain their Muslim culture while rejecting the extremism that is growing in Hayat and some of the local Pakistani community.This is the central theme of 'American Dervish' - the struggle of Muslim immigrants in the US (and elsewhere) to reconcile their faith and traditional beliefs with the Western culture that surrounds them; and ultimately the rejection of those who choose intolerance over acceptance and peaceful co-existence. It is a beautifully written and touching story that offers deep insights into Islamic religion and society. I did find myself skipping over some of the lengthier readings from the Quran, but in general they contributed well to the context for the story. Overall, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in intercultural communication and society.

It's an important book to read. It brings forth, plainly and simply, the feelings, emotions and complex stresses of belonging to a specific community. I missed a certain degree of depth in the analysis of the problems faced by Muslims, but it certainly gives a start to anyone who wants to understand a community that is in the throes of rediscovering and revalidating itself and the world. Bahut khoob!