I picked up this debut novel because 1.) the cover (yes, what they say about covers is true) and 2.) what I know about Sikhs could fit on the thin end of the reel-to-reel inside a VHS cassette labeled "Annie." I've given the novel three stars only because my personal preference is for literature with a certain poetry to the language, and this book is fairly straight-forward. Really it deserves five stars for permitting me insight into a culture long-hidden from my experience, for the sharpness of Ms. Meminger's understanding of the difficulty of not only being caught between cultures, but ALSO of what it's like to get a late introduction to one's cultue-of-origin, and -finally- for her thoughtful and never-precious handling of life in the quaking aftermath of Sept 11. Also, add a star for the novel being set in New Jersey (my mothership). :^) This book is about a seventeen-year-old girl, Samar a.k.a. Sam who has never known much about her Indian heritage neither has it ever bothered her until an unexpected visit from a guy in a turban after the 9/11 attacks who turns out to be her uncle. He wants to reconcile the family and teach Sam about her Sikh heritage. several incidents take place where a girl at school calls her a coconut -- brown on the outside, white on the inside, which makes sam want to get to know her family but is talked out of by her mother, than some boys attack her uncle, shouting, "Go back home, Osama!" and Sam realizes she could be in danger. She realises how dangerous ignorance can be and soon decides to explore the indian side of her heritage. Sam will need all her smarts and savvy to try to bridge two worlds and make them both her own.Along the way, her path to self-discovery is riddled with pain, racism, healing, love, and reconciliation. As sam realises her southasian sickh identity the reader is able to tackle the complex issues of race, gender, and generational relations in contemporary America. Meminger's debut book is a beautiful and sensitive portrait of a young woman's journey from self-absorbed naïveté to selfless, unified awareness
What do You think about Shine, Coconut Moon (2009)?
Fantastic, with an extremely different view on things.
—pds76
excellent YA choice. Muslim uncle, American girl.
—tangy
