Brilliant! ( )

There was much that was relatable in both Carla and Sheikh Akram. In Carla, I recognized the desire to understand, and even the desire for immersion that she inherited from her father when she observes that “

I learned two things when reading (listening to) Carla Power's book "If the Oceans Were Ink", first I learned a little more about the moderate views offered by the Quran, and second, that my MP3 layer, which I was using to listed to this audio book, can't survive a wash cycle in my clothes washing machine. As a result of the latter, I only got about 25% into the book, but saw that Powers was telling her story of learning more about the Quran by studying for a year with her friend and Islamic scholar, Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi. What she learned, and how she learned it, is presented by recounting her discussions with her friend and teacher. Together, Powers and the Sheikh discuss basic tenents of Islam, the extreme (in flawed interpretation) of radical Islamists, and the importance of researching and going back to the original documents. I may never finish the book, however, since my MP3 player is ruined, and I'll have to recreate my listening library. Meanwhile, I'll have to be satisfied knowing that there are more moderate interpretations of Islam than that being forced upon others by radical groups such as ISIS and al-qaeda.
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It took me one whole month to read this because it is a sitting and thinking book, though not in an inscrutable way...just so much food for thought. And I chose to pick it up in time for holiday/life madness.

As a non-believer who happens to love Islam (as well as hailing from St. Louis), I enjoyed much of Carla Power's perspective going into a year long study with her friend and colleague, Sheik Mohammad Akram Nadwi. She had a foundation and was curious, and she often calls herself out on her own ignorance, privilege, and assumptions. It was so enlightening to hear the Sheik's point of view--in these days of strict black and white, it was awesome to hear confident yet humble lessons from a conservative (though progressive--in the ways traditional Islam has always been historically) Muslim. I felt Power's friction, too, on the moments they did clash, but always it roots down a deeper exploration. After a chapter or two reading the e-book on loan from the library, I realized I just needed to buy the dang thing--this is the first book in forever that prompted me to highlight the text and put in stickies. I am so excited to explore all the feminist and otherwise progressive Muslims referenced throughout...marked up the bib quite well, too. While the book was not without some detractors, it provided me a beautiful reading experience (in the end, I was tearing up a bit) and no doubt has developed my own understanding of Islam a little more. ( )

If the Oceans Were Ink by Carla Power is an interesting and enlightening look at how two people can have friendly discourse over what could easily be contentious material.

I have to make a comment about some reviews I have seen as both a counter and as a warning to those who want to read this book with an open mind and heart. Some immediately complain that the contradictions in the Quran are not addressed and therefore any discussion of it should be disregarded as not vigorous or even as "propaganda." Well, the many contradictions within the Judeo-Christian holy books are not generally referenced when the purpose of the work is for two people to share their versions of their religions, so the complaint is really just a mask behind which small minds try to hide. This is not a theological work any more than the vast majority of books about any religion are theological when written for a general audience. Also the same basic thing applies to those who discount the interpretation of Akram because there are other Muslims who interpret the Quran in a more violent way. Guess what, the Judeo-Christian holy books have interpreters who span the same spectrum, yet everyone is allowed to put forth their own ideas without trying to answer for others.

So, all that aside, this is about people, two friends who started as student/teacher and, to some extent, remain so even as their friendship grows. If read as such, this is a wonderful story that provides insight into how the vast majority of Muslims read their holy book. I would have enjoyed a bit more of a back and forth about why a given passage might be one way to some and another way to others, but this wasn't meant to be either a detailed study nor an argumentative confrontation. the book succeeded for what it was meant to be.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand one of the major ways of interpreting the Quran and who might want to counter all of the works out there that pretend to be well-researched but actually are just excuses to fan the flames of hatred and distrust. If you want to further study Islam I would suggest you carefully check the background of any authors you might choose to read. Many self-proclaimed experts won't even share there background yet want readers to trust that they are being honest and thorough in their "research."

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )