Maine (PRWEB) November 22, 2013 -- Immigrants have played a crucial role in the historical narrative of America. The nation itself was founded by people who voyaged across the oceans in search of the proverbial American Dream, and who gave their all to realize it. Their story, the story of the New Americans, recurs with each and every generation, and the social and cultural changes they bring is often met with anxiety and even prejudice from segments of the local population. The latest form of this is with the New Americans from the Muslim world, who come to the nation seeking better lives, and who must inevitably deal with the specters of the post-9/11 era. Author Reza Jalali is one of these New Americans, and he tells their story in “Homesick Mosque,” an anthology of tales that explore this sensitive issue.
Jalali explores what it means to be a Muslim immigrant in America – and, through this, the essence of what it means to be an American - with his short stories. The tales follow the lives of Muslims born in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India and elsewhere as they try to adapt to their new home, as they immerse themselves in a new culture and society, even as they feel longing for their old homes and their family, friends and loved ones who are now so far away. Readers will see the difficulties they face with prejudice and suspicion in the post-9/11 world and how they struggle to rise above these hardships as they search for the American Dream while maintaining their beliefs and their ways. These are stories of men and women, husbands, wives, fathers and mothers, families trying to make it through an ever-changing world, trying to search for safety, dignity and opportunity amidst trying times. These are tales from the “Homesick Mosque.”
The book explores and chronicles the challenges, which newly arrived refugees and immigrants face when they try to fit in and belong to their new homes. Their resilience and yearning to start a new life for themselves and their children is a timeless and universal story that reminds us of America’s strength and magic in continuing to be a nation of immigrants.
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About the Author
Reza Jalali is a writer, playwright, and educator whose short stories, essays, and political commentaries have appeared in publications in the U.S. and beyond. He has taught at the University of Southern Maine and Bangor Theological Seminary and is the author of the award-winning children’s book “Moon Watchers: Shirin’s Ramadan Miracle.”
Homesick Mosque * by Reza Jalali
Publication Date: November 13, 2013
Trade Paperback; $15.99; 83 pages; 978-1-4931-2010-9
Trade Hardback; $24.99; 83 pages; 978-1-4931-2011-6
e-book; $3.99; 978-1-4931-2012-3
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