A Thousand Questions

Genre: MG chapter book

Ages: 8-12

Available: Amazon

link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062943200/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=muslimmommy0f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0062943200&linkId=d1fea7aeacad0fd77d4685b3f64a23d9

price: 17 usd

Islamic notes: clean!

Islam isn’t mentioned much. Azaan is mentioned as being heard in Pakistan and the main character is confused when it occurs. She also doesn’t know how to pray though it is implied that she went to a masjid at some point in her memories. She does make a prayer to God to see her father.

Summary: The book is told from two viewpoints- Mimi and Sakina:

Mimi’s mother decides to take them to vacation for Pakistan for the first time in Mimi’s life. Mimi is used to the central AC, the food, and the language in her hometown of Houston, and the newness of Karachi is a bit shocking to her at first. But when she meets Sakina,a servant girl at her grandparents home, she makes friends and starts to appreciate the beauty of Pakistan.

Sakina works at helping her father cook meals for Mimi’s family, even though all she wants to do is go to school. When Mimi arrives, Sakina finds it as a good opportunity for her to learn English. Learning English is hard with her duties, especially since her dad is struggling with diabetes and needs her help. When her dad ends up in the hospital, Sakina struggles to find

how she can support her family and go to school. Mimi and her family become a help in this goal.

Mimi’s also struggling with missing her father (who left when she was young), and when she finds out he is in Karachi, and her mom has been hiding it from her, she falls apart. Sakina helps her, and Mimi is able to finally see her dad again after all those years.

This book was full of a lot of beautiful qualities of Pakistani culture and you really learn to love Karachi through the eyes of Mimi. Politics and poverty are discussed, and similarities are drawn between both girls’ countries and cultures.

I did wish Islam played a more important role in their lives. They seemed to have no connection to their own religion, and the 5 daily prayers were not really taught to them by their parents or shown as important.

The two girls are so sweet and their stories are equally heart touching. The reader finds themselves invested and rooting for both girls to achieve happiness.

A light and sweet read!

Follow @Muslimmommyblog on Instagram and facebook for more!