Once Upon an Eid Book Review

Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices 
Edited by S. K. Ali and Aisha Saeed
Published by Abrams Books, May 5, 2020 (link to book)

Mom's Review
Once Upon an Eid is a compilation of stories centered on Eid. Written by different Muslim authors, each story has its own style, including even a graphic novel-style short story. Young protagonists, from middle school through high school, approach Ramadan and Eid in unique ways. One girl is a newly-converted Muslim, one boy is a refugee, another boy is struggling with his mother's death, and another girl girl is celebrating the first family holiday since her parents' divorce. Humor, seriousness, sadness, and fun are all wrapped up in the joy of celebrating Eid. Readers will be quickly drawn into the lives of each character and find a satisfying conclusion to each narrative. Stories are thought-provoking and delightful. Once Upon an Eid is ideal for middle graders through adults, particularly people of faith or those interested in religion.

A very personal note about Once Upon an Eid:

For the past several years, I have been drifting apart from God and the Church. In part it was having a new baby and needing the sleep on Sunday mornings. In part it was not feeling welcome or connected with the different parishes I visited (we moved a few times). In part it has been disagreements with how those parishes were operated. And in part it has been uncertainty about what I believe. Any of those factors would prove an obstacle; I floundered in my faith. But I also felt like having no connection to the Church left a small void. When I read Once Upon an Eid, I couldn't help but notice how each character connects with God and perceives His love, allowing it to fill him/her with joy. Reading about the connection with God through the lens of a different faith helped me pin down that my issue isn't with God, just with some of the human components of religion. At the same time, I was reading All Is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day. Dorothy Day, an important revolutionary in the Catholic Church, was having some of the same issues I was having – I could really identify with her. So between these two books, I reconnected with my faith I am grateful that Once Upon an Eid came into my hands when it did.

Once Upon an Eid is full of stories that are interesting in their own right, and had a particular effect on me.  I recommend it highly

Extra: Once Upon an Eid was included in our post 5 Books that Celebrate and Teach About Ramadan and Eid.

Note: A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.