Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Nadia Jamal, Allen & Unwin, $29.99.
Things are not always what they seem. Such is the case with these motivating stories from the new generation of Australian Muslim women.
Lawyer, journalist and financial analyst, Jamal takes us inside the lives of ordinary women who are working professionals, mothers and students. At home they are finding ways to stay true to their faith as well as to themselves, navigating the expectations of their families and the traditions they brought with them to their new country.
The poignantly honest stories reveal a side to Australian life that is little known and often misconstrued.
It’s a thought-provoking insight that offers a persuasive window into a community about which a lot of assumptions are made. It’s the unbiased approach to storytelling that exudes a sensitive awareness of the social norms.
Jamal’s curiosity was ignited after a conversation on segregation and she was astonished by the disclosures. That’s when she noticed how traditions and practises were dissimilar, depending on the circumstances. It was different to how she’d grown up as a daughter of Muslim-Lebanese migrants.
This book is also Nadia’s way of understanding the origins of what these women had to say. At the same time, she too, is attempting to make sense of the issues and its implications.
Most of the women in Headstrong Daughters are “…second generation Australians who are working, married, mothers, and from wider cultural backgrounds including Iraq, Bangladesh and Somalia. Yet they are still Australian women who continue to deal with challenges of being active members of a broader community while staying true to their faith”.
