Daughters of the Lamp by Nedda Lewers

📚 Daughters of the Lamp 📚
Author: Nedda Lewers
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Age: 10+

Islamic Content: Brief discussion on hijab, Allah are mentioned
Concerns: Magic, fortune telling, Jinni lamp, sorcery

Summary:
Sahara is visiting Egypt for the first time to attend her uncle’s wedding. She spends her time surrounded with family she always heard about and finally met in person. Her cousins claim that their uncle’s bride-to-be is a witch and is not good news. When Sahara tries to find the necklace she inherited from her late mother she finds herself in Ali Baba’s chamber with magical items.

Review:
Honestly, I am not sure that I am the right person to review this book due to the concerns listed above. Aside from the scholarly opinion that tells us to avoid such books, when it comes to stories with magical aspects (or sci-fi for that matter) I tend to miss chunks of the story. My head spins trying to make sense of what is happening which takes away my ability to enjoy the book. Personally I tend to connect to real life fiction where I am able to connect emotionally with the characters and find relatability.

I do have to say that the book had my interest enough to want to know what happens next. Sahara’s character is logical and likes to have a plan. At times I found her to be slightly annoying with some of her commentary about her observations in Egypt and even hijab. But alas, each family is different and her having such disconnect to her parent’s homeland maybe isn’t far fetched from someone’s experiences. When the nikah takes place in the home of the family, Sahara is told to wear hijab in the presence of the imam, out of respect for him. I found this to be odd.

Overall I think this book won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

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