Fifteen years ago, krista bremer, a californiabred feminist, surfer, and aspiring journalist, met ismail suayah, sincere, passionate, kind, yet from a very different world. My accidental jihad by krista bremer wednesday, june 25th, 7. Jihad, an arabic word meaning strife or struggle, has many connotations in our culture, few of them romantic. A love story by krista bremer at first, it seemed to read like a script for one of those carefully constructed films about interracial, intercultural, interfaith relationships that somehow turn out happily ever after, without straying too far from anyones comfort zone.
Krista bremer is an american author and the associate publisher of the sun magazine. In a world that has no racial or religious boundaries, this book has a courageous voice that is wise, insightful and committed to a relationship met with challenges and a road not so easily traveled. Krista bremer on love and an accidental jihad carnegie library. Kirkus my accidental jihad is a bold piece of writing and thinking by an incredibly brave woman. Krista bremer author biography, plus links to books by. My accidental jihad by krista bremer reading guidebook. Krista bremer fifteen years ago, krista bremer could not have imagined her life today. The oprah magazine,more magazine, and the sun, and shes been featured on npr and in the pbs series arab american stories. Story of a marriage by krista bremer booksamillion.
My family lives by the wisdom of never loan a book you hope to get back. Then, on a running trail in north carolina, she met ismail. Maggie shipstead, author of seating arrangements my accidental jihad is one of the most captivating and moving memoirs ive read in years. Krista bremer a fulllength account of a pushcart prizewinning essay describes the authors experiences as the journalist wife of a libyanborn muslim with whom she lives in the american south, a relationship. Willow wilson, author of alif the unseen utterly absorbing.
Krista is a surfer, shed grown up in a secular middleclass california family, dreaming of a comfortable american. Story of a marriage and millions of other books are available. Goodreads members who liked my accidental jihad also liked. Library journal lucid, heartfelt, and profoundly humane, my accidental jihad navigates the boundaries of religion and politics to arrive at the universal experience of love. Krista bremer is the associate publisher of the sun magazine and the recipient of a rona jaffe foundation award. For the next month, nothing will touch my husbands mouth between sunup and. Nor could she have imagined the prejudice she would encounter or the profound ways her marriage would change her perception of the world. Then, on a running trail in north carolina, she met ismail, sincere, passionate, kind, yet from a very different world. My accidental jihad explores what it means to open our hearts to another.
A love story began as a prize winning essay in the sun and has led to her more recent work, a tender. My accidental jihad by krista bremer, 9781616200688, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. I thought the title of the book was particularly well chosen. Krista bremer audio books, best sellers, author bio.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading a tender struggle. My accidental jihad is the story of a young woman who, because she fell in love with an older moslem man from libya, found herself undertaking a very personal jihad of her own. Thanks to krista bremer for her essay my accidental jihad october 2007, about her marriage to a muslim man. Basing this book on her pushcart prizewinning essay, my accidental jihad. Love like an anvil had cracked my locked heart open and unleashed an excruciating flow of tenderness. My accidental jihad, by krista bremer the new york times. Basing this book on her pushcart prizewinning essay, my accidental jihad, bremer details her youthful barbiedoll dreams of marriage and wealth and the sweetness of their newborn daughter and then bolts to the comparative ickiness of ramadan. Find books like my accidental jihad from the worlds largest community of readers. Aukai collins, also known as aqil collins february, 1974 july 19, 2016 was an american of irish descent who converted to islam and fought with chechen irregulars of the chechen republic of ichkeria. From acquaintances to lovers to a couple facing an unexpected pregnancy. A womans unexpected struggle to open her heart and grow beyond herself this is krista bremers tender struggle. Dec 03, 2014 my accidental jihad is the story of a young woman who, because she fell in love with an older moslem man from libya, found herself undertaking a very personal jihad of her own. It is krista bremers unexpected struggle to reach beyond herself, her accidental jihad.
Her essay on which this book is based, my accidental jihad, received a. A tender struggle by krista bremer overdrive rakuten. Author krista bremer discusses her accidental jihad nbc news. In her new book, my accidental jihad, out next month, bremer traces the evolution of their relationship and lays bare their struggles as they navigate the push and pull of their distinct. I think the negative connotation surrounding the word jihad, combined with accidental, makes the title extremely captivating.
My accidental jihad by krista bremer reading guidebook club. Dagoberto gilb has won the penhemingway award and was a finalist for the national book critics circle award. Host dg martin talks to krista bremer about her new book my accidental jihad. One day while jogging in north carolina, krista, a graduate student, met an older libyan man, ismail. Her essay on which this book is based, my accidental jihad, received a pushcart prize. May 25, 2014 theres a scene in my accidental jihad in which krista bremer visits her husbands relatives in libya and sees a wheezing, skeletal old woman lying on a hospital bed in their living room. My accidental jihad is a bold piece of writing and thinking by an incredibly brave woman.
At first krista bremers memoir, my accidental jihad, would appear to be a chronicle of the authors. This book is a powerfully personal account of the courage and hard work necessary to open. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Story of a marriage kindle edition by bremer, krista. Elizabeth gilbert, author of the signature of all things and eat, pray, love utterly absorbing. Mar 20, 2014 krista bremers new book, my accidental jihad, lays bare the struggles of marriage and family, and charts a journey towards tolerance and compassion. Yet romance is at the center of krista bremers moving memoir, my accidental jihad, though struggle is a key element as well. And i have been losing ground in this battle, forgetting my husbands intentions and focusing instead on the petty ways i am inconvenienced by his practice.
Told with rare honesty, my accidental jihad is the story of krista bremers lifelong quest for insight and understanding, a search that leads her out of the pacific surf to journalism school in north carolina and through the complex challenges and unexpected joys of a crosscultural marriage and family. My accidental jihad by kipling7161 see profile 081814. Bremers experience illustrates the struggle for tolerance in an intolerant world, and i felt inspired in my own attempts to understand different cultures and religions. This book is a powerfully personal account of the courage and hard work necessary to open ones heart and keep it that way. He was wounded in combat with elements of a russian spetsnaz unit from which he subsequently lost his leg. Fifteen years ago, krista bremer was a surfer from a secular middleclass family who dreamed of a comfortable american life of adventure, romance, and opportunity. My accidental jihad audible audiobook unabridged krista bremer author, xe sands narrator, highbridge, a division of recorded books publisher. This month of ramadan has thrown me into my own accidental jihad, forcing me to wrestle with my intolerance and selfabsorption.
Why else would my mom encourage me to lug it back to new york. The memoir, bremers first book, grew out of a prizewinning essay she wrote for the sun, a north carolinabased magazine where she is. A tender struggle a story about love, marriage, compromise, parenthood and the difference between the life one imagined and reality. I think the negative connotation surrounding the word jihad, combined with accidental. Fifteen years ago, krista bremer would not have been able to imagine her life today.
She is the recipient of a pushcart prize, a rona jaffe foundation writers. This month of ramadan has thrown me into my own accidental jihad, forcing. He was wounded in combat with elements of a russian spetsnaz unit. Krista bremer tells the story in her new book, my accidental jihad. Love like an anvil had cracked my locked heart open and unleashed an excruciating flow of tenderness 2 quotes from my accidental jihad.
Fifteen years ago, she was a surfer from a secular middleclass family who dreamed of a comfortable american life of adventure, romance, and opportunity. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel. Submerge into a great read when i spied my accidental jihad by krista bremer resting on the hope chest in my childhood bedroom a spot that, since my marriage, has taken on the meaning take me back with you, i knew this had to be a great book. My accidental jihad is a book krista bremer never imagined that shed write. Theres a scene in my accidental jihad in which krista bremer visits her husbands relatives in libya and sees a wheezing, skeletal old woman lying on a hospital bed in their living room. The book tells the story of kristas life being married to a libyanborn muslim. My accidental jihad chronicles the challenges and rewards of a bicultural marriage. Lucid, heartfelt and profoundly humane, my accidental jihad navigates the boundaries of religion and politics to arrive at the universal experience of love. Xe sands fifteen years ago, krista bremer would not have been able to imagine her life today. She is the recipient of a pushcart prize, a rona jaffe foundation writers award, and a north carolina arts council fellowship. Bremer finds herself in a struggle to be less focused on her needs and more tolerant towards her husbands religious beliefs during the month of ramadan, hence the title my accidental jihad. The story krista bremer tellsone of radical foreignness between a. Bremer, associate publisher of the sun, explores the points of connectionand potential. This book is a powerfully personal account of the courage and hard work necessary to open ones heart and keep.
Cheryl strayed, author of wild a bold piece of writing. When she and ismail made the decision to become a family, krista embarked on a journey she never could have imagined, an accidental jihad. Krista is a surfer, shed grown up in a secular middleclass. The oprah magazine, more magazine, and the sun, and shes been featured on npr and in the pbs series arab american stories. I purchased this book because i was inspired to read her heartfelt story about falling in love, building a life, sharing dreams, and raising children with a man from a north african country.
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