The Door Is Open: Stories of Celebration and Community by 11 Desi Voices: Hena Khan (Editor), Sayantani DasGupta, Reem Faruqi, Veera Hiranandani, Simran Jeet Singh, Supriya Kelkar, Rajani LaRocca, Maulik Pancholy, Mitali Perkins, Aisha Saeed, N.H. Senzai

I cannot in good conscience at the current time support this book as a whole, as many of the contributing authors have not used their platform to speak up, spread awareness, and draw attention to the genocide occurring in Palestine. As recent South Asian history involves colonization, I find this silence deplorable, disappointing and shameful, we need to do better. That being said, I am reviewing the book none-the-less because a few of the authors have spoken out, some quite a lot, and I hope those that have remained silent, will speak out. Our voices have power, and while it feels like it might be too late to take a stand, it is not. Lives might yet be saved.

The 328 page middle grade book is a collection of 11 Desi voices, four of which are Muslim (Hena Khan, Reem Faruqi, Aisha Saeed, and N.H. Senzai). All 11 are threaded together by a fictional community center that houses badminton games, ameens, cooking classes, dancing for Navratri, chess tournaments, spelling bees, celebrating an aqiqah, and everything in between. The majority of the stories are joyful with threads of overcoming stereotypes being a frequent mention in a book filled with different cultures, religions, and perspectives. Potential flags and triggers: there is mention in one story of domestic violence, there are a few hetero crushes and one same sex identifying boy who isn’t ready to discuss his attractions, there is ostracizing of a single woman choosing to adopt, and a few mentions of divorce. As with all anthologies some are better written than others, but as a whole the book is pretty consistent in spotlighting something specific to religion or Desi culture, and having a hobby or family conflict push the character to problem solve, find their voice, and then be supported in a happy ending.

My favorite story is N.H. Senzai’s piece, I might be bias seeing as I check her Instagram numerous times a day for Palestine updates, but her story, with the domestic violence mom and daughter surviving and flourishing, is powerful, on level, and memorable. Framed around a mom’s prayers, duaas, she named her daughter Duaa. Duaa is a gamer that tries to make her mom happy by helping with her catering business. When she helps set up for a domestic abuse banquet at the community center she faces what her and her mom overcame by leaving in the middle of the night, and starting over.

I’m not going to review each story, but I will highlight the remaining Muslim authored ones. Aisha Saeed’s story doesn’t have any Islam specific mentions, her story is set during a mehndi at the community center. Her khala is getting married to Brian and moving to Kenya, and she is not happy, throw in cousins who are still mad at her for ruining their furniture with chocolate last year, and Maha just wants to hide in the back and pout.

Reem Faruqi brings her characters together through old fashioned letter writing. Orchestrated by Rahma’s nani, second cousins who will be meeting for the first time at an aqiqah at the community center, start corresponding to get to know one another, and gripe about siblings. When they finally do meet, in matching outfits no less, the girls decide their siblings, like their favorite candy, can be both sweet and sour.

Hena Khan’s story brings everyone together for an ameen six years in the making. Halima has finally finished the Quran and the family is throwing a party. Halima wanted a carnival type party, mom wants a formal affair, but when the community center is on the brink of being closed down, the family decides to invite everyone to show what the center offers the community.