f/f book recs muslim wlw edition
There aren’t many muslim wlw books out there so getting these books was a struggle lmao anyways, I will be updating this list as i read more books.
I have made a rec list of f/f books w/out muslim wlw rep, you can check it out here
Rughum & Najda by Samar Habib
Summary: RUGHUM & NAJDA is a love story set in the Islamic Golden Age of 9th century Baghdad, at the end of the caliph Al-Ma’mun. Rughum is a devout Muslim while Najda is a Manichaean.
Okay a little background. According to Samar Habib who is a professor in Arab history and civilization with particular focus on homosexual women in the middle ages:
“This story is based on a couple referenced in an actual 9th century source, there is a little story about them called “Najda and Rughum” we know they actually existed but we don’t have their story. It was one of about 12 similar narratives that were about two women lovers. There was about 12 different books of that kind circulating, none of which survived. The only thing that survived to tell us what the story of Rughum and Najda is, is in the 9th century source that I had found. I used that to basically base the story in Baghdad of the 9th century on them. Then I used the other bits of information that I had gathered through my research to bring that period to life.”
So, basically this is a ficto-history novel. The novel is historically accurate and grounded in social realities of that time, the lesbian subculture, the terms they use to identify each other, the way the characters debate and talk about same sex love are all historically accurate. What made the book very exciting for me was knowing that the women are actually recorded in a 9th century source, like one of the characters, poet Bathal who changed the words of a popular song to sing in praise of the love of women in front of the caliph actually existed. Mind blown. You will get introduced into a world of muslim wlw at that time, there are several love stories but that of Rughum and Najda is central.
This book was so great to read, it has everything and more that I want in f/f romance. Strong independent women, sword fights, cross-dressing, travel, love, sex and a lot of suspense. The language used is beautiful sort of like medieval Arabic poetry, and y’all know I love poetry lmao I felt like I was transported into a world of Arabian tales. I loved the characters, their similarities and how they navigate their differences– I honestly didn’t want the story to end. After I finished reading, I was shook and speechless. The last chapter, let me not get into it– the story really touched me and got me thinking about life and bigger things, the story is more than a tale of forbidden love. The author often goes out of the story to give some historical facts which was a bit distracting but I honestly didn’t mind because I was curious about that period and the historical context of the story.
This is a must read, I am sure I will read it again to digest everything.
Moon at nine by Deborah Ellis
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Farrin has many secrets. Although she goes to a school for gifted girls in Tehran, as the daughter of an aristocratic mother and wealthy father, Farrin must keep a low profile. When Sadira starts attending the school they become inseparable and fall in love.
The book is set in 1980s Iran, after the Shah was overthrown, it’s a true story.
A little background. According to the author:
“At the beginning of the summer of 2013, I met a woman who told me about her early years in Iran, a story that eventually became this book. She wanted to share her experience, but she needed to keep her identity secret to protect the members of her family who are still in Iran. Some of the details have been changed, but this story is essentially hers.”
Where should I even begin with this book, you guys I have never cried reading a book. This story made me cry so hard and my heart physically ached, because of the truth of this story and what the consequences of being gay could be— this book really hit me hard, it forced me to look at the ugly reality. Even tho this is a YA story, I wouldn’t recommend it for lgbt people below 15.
It’s fast paced, kept me guessing till the last pages, I think everyone should read it.
Bareed mista3jil – True stories published by meem
A little background:
Bareed mista3jil (Arabic) translated into English means “Mail in a hurry”. So this book is basically is a non-fiction. It is a collection of 41 true and personal stories of lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning women from all over Lebanon. There are both English and Arabic versions of this book but the book was originally written in English in 2009.
What I really like about this book is the diversity in the stories. The book doesn’t focus on a specific experience or voice rather it is a collection of stories written by the women themselves from all over the country, so they have different religions, sects, backgrounds, social status etc
This book will make you look at LGBT outside the western construct (since that’s where we mostly get our lgbt rep) and learn what having different sexual/gender identities is like in the Arab world. The different themes in the stories include coming out, discrimination, family, self-image, relationships, sexual diversity, religion, self-discovery, emigration, activism and community.
Everyone should read this book.
I couldn’t find this book anywhere, thankfully I was able to find a scanned copy someone shared. The copy is clear and was easy to read on my computer.
Nightingale by Andrea Bramhall
Summary: Hazaar Alim comes from a Muslim Pakistani background and her parents are devout traditionalists, Hazaar is gay, she falls in love with Charlie (a white woman) and has to choose between her tradition/family and Charlie.
So this book is like a fusion of romance and thriller. It’s a fast read. I really enjoyed reading the romance between Hazaar and Charlie. However, there are things that made me uncomfortable while reading this book. The “white savior” stuff is strong in this one, the part about Islam and Pakistani community made me roll my eyes cause it was just so stereotypical. I wonder if the writer has actually gotten feedback from an actual Pakistani during the review process. Even tho I have been reading f/f romance for years now, this is the first f/f romance book I have read with a muslim character—which was at the end of 2017 I believe. It made me start looking for more muslim wlw rep in books and now here we are lmao
Loving you wasn’t enough by Fatima Warsame
Summary: Ebyan is a Somali American, a devout muslim, loves her family and culture and is proud of her African roots. She meets Noreen a girl from a muslim Indian background in uni, Ebyan’s heart is ignited the moment they lock eyes. They grow very close and fall in love.
I read somewhere that the writer wrote this to open conversation on same sex love in the muslim community. The writer herself is a Somali American muslim. There are things I didn’t quite agree with in this book but I won’t get into that here. I have written a review on this book, so you can check it out if you want. This book is filled with so much angst and moral conflict/struggle, I really enjoyed reading about Noreen and Ebyan’s relationship especially the first half when they were getting to know each other and stuff and I also enjoyed reading about their differences, whats with me and loving stories about people with different beliefs/background lmao. I got frustrated towards the end.
I have the ebook versions of these books, you can dm me if you can’t find the books. btw i would love to hear your thoughts on these books after you read them.
