Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Between Two Moons is Aisha Abdel Gawad's stirring debut, focusing on an Arab American family in Bay Ridge, NYC. When Amira's long lost brother returns from prison, her family is forced to confront past histories they had put away. Adding to the drama of the piece is the ever present gaze of American society, which views Muslim folk as violent and uncontrolled. What is most successful about this piece is the way we see Amira's brother, Sami, find peace in an unjust system. What bothered me the most is Amira's passivity to go along with her sister, to seek male approval from her crush, to appease her parents. I wish Amira embraced herself more, like Lina, and leaned into her inner strength. Overall, Gawande paints an accurate portrayal of what it means to grow up Muslim American today.