Amani Al-Khatahtbeh was nine years old and living in New Jersey when her whole life changed. On September 11, 2001 terrorists attacked New York City. After that day, Amani’s life was filled with terror as well, wondering when the next attack on her religion would be, where she could walk without fear, and what might come next. Amani’s book is both a powerful autobiography of a woman who is changing the world, and a political and sociological text.
Amani is an all-American girl which should go without saying, and her book explores that idea as well as being a woman of color in America aside from religion. Proud of her heritage, instead of hiding when fear came calling, she created a vibrant online community to support other Muslim girls who might be scared or need support. Initially an online diary, it became the incredible professional website it is today. http://muslimgirl.com/ Amani’s website is a American dream story even when surrounded by nightmare. She took the risk to start something small that became something huge and important.
Amani has been invited to speak at prestigious events and on television as the voice of Muslim-American girls and women. Her message is strong and passionate. This book should be required reading in understanding the power of casual and aggressive racism and the strength of those who resist and fight against it.
“AIDS was a river with no bed that ran soundlessly and inexorably through my life, flooded everything, drowned all I knew, soaked my soul, but then a soaking, a drenching, was not dying, and I swam, floated when I could, and I though I had triumphed, only to discover years later that the river’s persistence, its restlessness, trickled into tiny rivulets that reach every remote corner of my being…” p. 182 
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It may not be what you expect. Ethan was kidnapped four years ago on a bike ride. But then his kidnapper wanted another child. This kidnapping goes wrong and Ethan and the little boy are found. Coming home is not the relief Ethan thought. Instead, it is rocky and full of unexpected challenges for both boys. The little boy has a sister, just Ethan’s age, named Caroline. Caroline is determined to help her brother (who has special needs and can’t communicate) by finding out what is triggering his heartbreaking outbursts. She knows Ethan from school and through music the two find each other, the truth about what really happened to her brother, and strength to keep on going. Afterward is a beautiful, gripping story of the trauma of real life and the power of human connection to heal. Jennifer Mathieu graciously answered some questions about this gripping novel for me: 
Joy Harjo’s Crazy Brave is part history, part memoir, and part poetry. A recounting of a life from inside the soul that encompasses the way history impacts our lives at every turn.