A really wonderful memoir; the story of a boy raised in rural Pakistan who comes to the US as an adolescent. It vividly describes the conflicts, sometimes comical, sometimes almost tragic, that such an upbringing created in him. Some of his early life in Pakistan is heartbreaking. I couldn't put it down. ( )

Read until pages 102/103. From 2009:
Children of Dust is separated into several different sections. I am still reading the first section when his family is still in Pakistan. The fairy tale quality evident in Chapter One continues through this section. The words convey a fondness for this time in Eteraz’s life. It pulls the reader into the story through the universal experiences of children raised by loving family members.

Even though his parents are sometimes apart, the young Eteraz understands it is out of necessity. His father is constantly trying to improve the income of the family. This requires working elsewhere at times. The emphasis on his father’s struggles foreshadow the second section about his family’s move to America.

The book has been slow reading for me but not because of the writing or the chronology. Reading has been a reward for me in the evenings or something I’ve been able to do while on my lunch break at work. This is a miniature review of what I’ve read to date and a more comprehensive review will follow later. My thanks go out to FSB Associates for providing me a copy of the book for review.

Normally, I'm opposed to young people writing memoirs, just on principle. Children of Dust shamed me. I was wrong to judge. It is so, so good: a remarkable story told with skill and charm, and uplifting in the best possible way. ( )

I try to read at least most of the books on the Chautauqua reading list each year, which led me to Children of Dust. This is a memoir of a man born in Pakistan who came to the United States as a child. It's a story of his quest to remain Muslim in Bible belt America and to understand his Islam faith all set to the background of his day-to-day life. According to the book jacket, Mr. Eteraz is a graduate of Emory University and Temple Law School. He was selected for the Outstanding Scholar's Program at the U.S. Dept. of Justice and later worked in corporate litigation in Manhattan. He has published srticles in Dissent, Foreign Policy, AlterNet and alt Muslim; and is a regular contributor to The Guardian UK. The book is well-written and a pleasure to read. ( )

This book spoke to me powerfully, disturbingly and eloquently. Although unique in its narrative style, it's early chapters invited me in with the graphic ease of, say, Mao's Last Dancer. The story of Abir ul' Islam is compelling from the first page, despite portraying a terrifying picture of a religious interpretation that appears to be based entirely on superstition and human power. The young Abir is portrayed as closely as possible as though the events are occurring in the present, without benefit of adult hindsight. Then, when he moves to America, the mood changes abruptly, and the story is penned with a retrospective bitterness against his parents. Later, his cynical irony is turned on himself, and then, finally, in the fifth "book", Abir-Amir-Ali begins a painful, unintentional and beautifully depicted journey into love and wisdom. The character of Ziad, his reluctant teacher, is wonderfully realised, and the language becomes poetic in its beauty in places. The brutal honesty, combined with the changing narrative voice and the seductive simplicity and beauty of the text combine to make this one of the more extraordinary books I have ever read. What a privilege. ( )