She Wore Red Trainers by Na'ima B. Robert
Quick Info:
Book type: Novel
Target age: 14-17 years old
Preface:
This review will be formatted a bit differently than the rest I have posted thus far as I am more looking at the Islamic representation as a whole. I want to show and discuss certain parts of the book in a deeper way before explaining my opinion and review.
I also like to say that I’m an Arab-American born Muslim whereas this book is set in the UK and written by Scottish-Zulu revert who lives in the UK so my opinions come from a different background.
Plot-line:
[Spoilers ahead!]
After Ali’s mother falls in and passes away his father decides to pack up and head to London with his boys—Ali being the eldest. There he meets Amira, the second eldest (and eldest daughter) of 5 kids. Amira’s homelife is turbulent as her depressed mother goes through one messy divorce to the next. Due to her mother’s marriage troubles she decides to swear off men and refuses to get married until one fateful day at the basketball court she spots Ali. The two both grapple with their own unsavory pasts as they plan their independent futures. Ali’s father wants him to go to law school and Amira’s brother, Zayd, is pushing her to get married. After Ali decides to volunteer at the masjid for youth work he meets Amira and communicates with her for the first time as she drops off her younger, deaf brother. They connect over Ali’s rusty knowledge of sign language after he reveals his volunteer work in a school for deaf children in Mexico. Amira struggles with her career path as she is passionate about art but doesn’t know how to make a living off of it, finally she caves in and meets up with one of Zayd’s friends for the prospect of marriage. The proposal falls through and Amira discovers her passion for art therapy for children. After a couple of messy miscommunications ranging from flowers from the wrong person to being seen with an ex-girlfriend, Ali decides to do a year of volunteer work at the same school in Mexico. When Ali is at the airport Amira decides she does love him and rushes there with her brother where the couple quickly marries and decide to Mexico together.
Content:
The word “fetish” is used to describe a character’s love for clothing. It could just a differences in American and British English.
Characters had a history of dating and parties (although both share remorse over past sins)
Some characters speak freely about the looks/body of the opposite gender. Creating a “Mottie Scale” where they rate Muslim men.
Amira’s step-father seems to have inappropriate advances toward her.
Some conversations regarding sex and pregnancy
Review
Amira’s life is very messy and she has gone through periods where she rejected Islam; going to parties, running away and surrounding herself with bad company. While she has returned to Allah SWT she is not perfect. I found Amira’s personality to be reminiscent of the “not like other girls” phenomena. She constantly speaks on how she does not trust nor like men and how she doesn’t fantasize about married life “like other girls”. I know that there are a lot of young, Muslim girls who come from broken homes and are overwhelmed and fearful of the idea of marriage. I would have loved to see Amira come to terms with her own fear of intimacy on her own terms and not through Ali, honestly.
Ali’s character has also gone through a dark period in his time where he went partying, got a tattoo, was a “mega flirt” and at one point even had a girlfriend. I do wish we saw more of his character working through the emotions of his future instead of always worrying about the past. I also wish we were able to see more of his work volunteering at the masjid as I feel that was an important turning point for him.
A grievance that I have is how the “more religious” characters where represented in this book. It was very disheartening to see Amira’s brother—a Madinah student—be portrayed as controlling and semi-misogynistic. At one point trying to get Amira to wear niqab during her meet with a possible proposal. Which would be an odd thing for a student of knowledge to suggest. Zayd and some other of the “more religious” characters had a few backward views. However, as I mentioned before, I am coming at this from the perspective as an American—maybe the students of knowledge in the UK are different.
Honestly, I have no idea why everyone was pushing these kids to get married. They are both 18-years-old and in no financial nor emotional position to get married. Amira claims she hates men and is still picking a degree in college while being a second mother for her siblings. Ali is grieving his mother, isn’t committed to being a lawyer and jobless. A character said, “Why do we see nothing wrong with 13-year-olds having sex—which they do—but have such a problem with the idea of an 18 or 19 year-old getting married. I know what I would choose for my girls!” I just couldn’t understand why not a single person thought maybe now was not the right time for them. I do believe that Ali and Amira would actually be a good match as they understand each other’s struggles and desire to grow but I just find the time they decide to get married be very awkward.
Additionally, I disagree with the way that Ali and Amira communicated with each other to begin with. Honestly they only spoke a total of 3-4 times in the book. In their first meeting, Amira teases and pokes fun of Ali and is fully aware that she probably shouldn’t be talking to him that way.
Opinion
If you’re looking for a book about a Muslimah who never lost her faith in Allah SWT and lives a semi-average life then this book would not be what you are looking for. I do believe that representation of Muslims at all parts of their Islamic journey is important to help encourage those who find a character relatable. While the characters do catch themselves at times—for example if they don’t lower their gaze quick enough they may look away and repent—as a whole there seems to be a lack of self awareness from most. It is an interesting read and does reflect a part of the Muslim ummah in this time but is a book I would suggest for an older high school girl. I would highly suggest discussions on the many topics that Roberts mentions as they are important to have a firm understanding in.
