Habibi

The book cover and the heft of this book (650+ pages) captivated me in the bookstore, but I did not want to spend the money at the time.  So I submitted my request for the book to my library and was placed somewhere around #40 on the list to receive it.  It was worth the wait. The story has way too many sub-plots to get into here on my little piece of the Internet. However, they all weave together to tell a solid story that is ultimately about love and redemption. Zam and Dodola are two orphans who have a lifetime of hardship both together and apart. The story spans the years from childhood to adulthood and intertwines their story with stories from the Bible and the Qur'an. What I loved about the story is that because the author intertwines all these stories you truly start to see the similarities between Christianity and Islam.  So why can't we all notice these similarities and connect our own stories in order to create a more peaceful existence?  Among other topics touched upon in this graphic novel are kidnapping, slavery, child abuse, ecological warfare, castration, suicide attempts, female submission and rape.  So with that being said, this is not a book for children.  Horrible and hateful things happen to both Zam and Dodola while they are children, but it is the foundation for the climax of the story, which speaks to the overwhelming power of love.  God's/Allah's love as well as love for one another.  There is a lot of mature content, but if comparative religion interests you, this is one to pick up.