Nicole Orfanidis

Hani, I am so very proud of you for writing such a great, thought provoking and touching story. I know it focuses on issues with Arab and Muslim families, but it can be applied to people from any culture and religion, because we all deal with these issues of accepting those we love for who they are, not who and what we want them to be. So I know this will be a great success and you will accomplish your goal of helping those who read it who are dealing with these issues, because as with your poetry, you have a way of touching peoples hearts with your words.

P.A.

The storyline made me tear up, question my beliefs and sometimes laugh; and most importantly it reminded me of how our generation has gone through a lot over the past couple of decades. We have witnessed discrimination, terrorism, wars and revolutions; and we have also turned into global and vocal citizens which opened our eyes to the world, and sometimes confused the hell out of us. Taking me as a reader through this journey was a refreshing wake up call. And I thank you for it.

Adam Makkar

A page-turner from the very beginning, this story encompasses culture, religion, love, and a controversial spiritual journey that shakes your perspective and awakens compassion, one of humanity’s basic traits, that has been caged to the norms of society.

Tiffany Violette Caouette

The author weaves a tale of one family and the decisions they each make which test what they have been taught to believe. If you are familiar with the Muslim culture, this book will challenge those beliefs. If you are not familiar, you will learn more than you expected to. This is a great read for everyone!

I am not an Arab, I am not a Muslim and I am not a Homosexual. I am a mother. As a mother, it pains me to think of all the hatred that some children have to face because of such classifications. I know that whoever reads this novel will walk away with an increased knowledge of what it feels like to be a person placed in such categories. They will be exposed to the struggles one must face to secure basic freedoms deserved by all human beings. This novel will pull at your heartstrings and dig deep within your soul to distinguish a new sense of empathy. It is a story that has ‘something for everyone’, but in the end, it all comes down to love. I predict a definite “best-seller”.

It is an emotional rollercoaster that creeps on your soul, fundamentally changing you from the inside-out and, before you know it, you catch yourself thinking and feeling things you never thought you’d think or feel.

It is an emotional rollercoaster that creeps on your soul, fundamentally changing you from the inside-out and, before you know it, you catch yourself thinking and feeling things you never thought you’d think or feel.

I finished the book three weeks ago. It only took me a day and a half to finish it. I literally could not put it down. To this day, three weeks after having finished it, I still miss the characters of the book! In a day and a half, I lived an entire lifetime with these characters, built solid and enduring relationships with them, got to know them intimately and now… I really miss them!

In one medium-sized book, Hani Selim has managed to create three-dimensional characters that have so much depth that we, the readers, emerge at the other end feeling like we really know each and every one of them on a very personal level. The most amazing achievement of this book, in my opinion, is how HUMAN every single character is. Nobody is perfect, nobody is a villain, no angels and no demons; just human beings with human emotions, human flaws and very real personalities.

It is much better than a lot of self-help books, much easier to understand than a lot of psychology books and it helps us fully understand very difficult philosophical and spiritual concepts in a very easy and accessible manner that philosophy and religion volumes can’t ever achieve.

If you keep an open mind and an open heart while reading this book, everything you need to know about oneness, tolerance, acceptance and love will get “downloaded” directly into your soul !