Standing Alone in Mecca

Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam
By: Asra Q. Nomani
Harper Collins Canada; www.harpercollins.ca

Asra Nomani is a single mom bound for Saudi Arabia to complete the hajj - the traditional Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Unfortunately for Nomani, raising a child alone is a crime in Saudi Arabia. Facing the possibility of being stoned for her crime of zina (illegal sex), Nomani embarks on a journey that sends her from Mecca to Medina and back to Morgantown, West Virginia where she takes on the discrimination of women at her local mosque.

Read this if you: Are searching for inspiration and empowerment. The general themes of fear, courage, sexuality and discrimination will resonate with many.

Don't read this if you: Are looking for a light read. As a journalist Nomani keeps it simple, but the tone is serious.

The mood you need to be in: Reflective, pensive.

What you should be snacking on: Alou Gobi (potato cauliflower curry) with some Naan bread.

Read it while you're: Drinking your morning coffee. It will inspire you to find your voice for the day.

The best part: Faced with intimidation and threats, Nomani braves the male puritans in her mosque by entering through the front doors to pray beside them.

Other books on your nightstand: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright

Words to live by: "(But) when I discovered I was pregnant, I realized that the deepest boundaries we have are within ourselves. We are often most constrained by the fears that keep us from crossing the boundaries."

Call your mom: "On the hajj, I came to fully realize that my mother is a wise and courageous woman in many ways. She is a woman who will hunch her back rather than sit up straight. I am a daughter who will scold her to straighten her back. I realized, however, that we can learn from the people who show courage without demanding perfection from them. We often have a guide when we embark on a journey, and she was mine. We need to seek out courageous people to be our guides, and we need to be courageous ourselves to fully learn from them."

In a nutshell: A memoir of strength and encouragement, Nomani is an inspiration to women.

By: Jennifer Lord