Argh. I got this out of the library and returned it TWICE without finishing it. I left the country for a month and it haunted me. So I checked it out a third time and finished it. I HATED the treatment of women, the blind memorization of the Quran, the men in the Mosque. It is a powerful book, a glimpse into a society I know nothing about. I have long had a physical reaction when I see women in veils as I travel around the world. The story is deeply disturbing to me. I felt a need to finish it, especially now that we are bombing Iraq again. I wanted to hear the voices of the characters, and try to understand this society. Unfortunately, the end result is that I now have less tolerance for moderate Muslims, and no respect for extremists at all. First from Webster's Dictionary, a dervish is "a member of a Muslim religious group that is known for its customs including a fast spinning dance that is done as part of worship."This is the story of Hayat, a first generation Pakistani-American boy, and his coming-of-age in the 1970's and 1980's. The book focuses on Hayat's difficulty understanding what role Islam should have in his life, his love for his mother's best friend from Pakistan, and his guilt over his jealous actions as his "aunty" starts to date other men.It's a good story that is easy to read. The main criticism I have with the book (even though I enjoyed it), is that the story is told in an almost Arabian Nights fashion, with Muslim tales and stereotypes woven into every single chapter and anecdote. We have religious intolerance, Muslims being anti-Semitic, Muslim men abusing women, and basic stories from Islam being overused.I would recommend reading it, but in this multi-cultural genre other writers have delivered much better books (Khaled Hosseini and Jhumpa Lahiri, to name two), and I would start with them first.
What do You think about American Dervish (2012)?
Started off engaging. Then got depressing, then disturbing. An interesting insight, I guess.
—Kiwipaul
It is ok...a bit predictable :) Just do not compare the author with Khaled Hosseini.
—Bebe
Moving, thoughtful book with multidimensional characters -- worth reading
—LBJMVP
