Asking for Blurbs was hard
Publishing a book is an incredibly new experience for me and the number of things that I had to do after signing the publishing contract was really quite astounding. One that I was absolutely not looking forward to was asking for blurbs. Just the idea of reaching out to established authors and asking them to read a debut novel from someone they didn't know was terrifying, let alone getting them to say something nice. So I steeled myself for rejection and started sending out requests.
I think I prepared myself for rejection so well that it was surprising when people accepted, and even ore when blurbs started to come in. I have a hard time accepting praise and I certainly am feeling that way with the kind words that came in for "Under the Full and Crescent Moon". I think going over the blurbs and talking about how they make me feel is going to help me process these emotions.
The Nostalgic one.
"Under the Full and Crescent Moon is a wonderful work of historical fiction, populated with a large cast of memorable characters, and infused with a deep knowledge of Muslim religious tradition and history. It is beautifully written, with an ear for dialogue that brings his characters vividly and convincingly to life, and a plot-line that carries the reader forward with eagerness to a satisfying conclusion." - Catherine Rubincam Retired Associate Professor Emeritus, Historical Studies
This one is very special to me because it comes from someone in my personal life who I admire a lot and has been a true mentor. Professor Rubincam was my Professor in University and she is honestly the only reason why I have a minor degree in Classical studies. You see, I needed to get some Humanities credits to graduate and her Intro to Greek History course had space available. I had such a great experience in her class and my relationship with her was so positive that I kept on taking more and more of her classes and even helped her in her research. One of the accomplishments I am most proud of is getting a special acknowledgment in book "Quantifying Mentalities".
Reaching out to her after I completed my novel was very natural, but it still felt incredibly gratifying and humbling that she would give her time to read my words. Honestly that's how I feel towards everyone who has or will read anything that I have to write. An incredibly deep gratitude.
What I really appreciate about the blurb too is that it speaks to the two very different things I tried to accomplish with "Under The Full and Crescent Moon" which was to both bring in all my research on the history of Islamic law AND tell a compelling story with memorable characters. That I've accomplished this for even one person is huge, and especially from someone who I respect so much.
The Daring one
“By telling a tale of an Islamic matriarchy, Aamir Hussain throws down the gauntlet—and Muslim fiction is better for it.” - Saad T. Farooqi - Author of White World
Saad is an amazing author and has a very similar background to me, we're both from Pakistani Muslim families, spent a lot of time growing up in the Middle East, and are now Canadians. Both of us have written novels that are steeped in Islamic themes and imagery. There are differences though, while my journey has has made me a progressive Muslim, his has made him an Ex-Muslim. His novel "White World" is set in a post-apocalyptic future, mine is in an imagined threatened utopia in the past. All that to say that for Saad to say that my novel is challenging and throws down a gauntlet... that's really high praise.
The One from a Woman with lived experience
"A resonant reimagining of Islamic history crafted with fierce intelligence and masterly worldbuilding. In this timeless and timely debut, Hussain interrogates power, conviction and social change with storytelling grace." - Sumaiya Matin, Author of The Shaytan Bride: A Bangladeshi Canadian Memoir of Desire and Faith
Sumaiya is an incredibly accomplished person in a lot of different fields and her book "The Shaytan Bride" is a beautiful and powerful memoir detailing how she overcome a terrible incidence of patriarchal horror. That a person of her experience and accomplishment would find my novel to be worthy of her praise is deeply gratifying. One of my greatest worries in writing "Under the Full and Crescent Moon" was that I wasn't doing the female characters justice which, considering most of the characters, including the main character, are women, was a deep worry. Having the women in my life read the novel and give it the stamp of approval in the early stages was what gave me the motivation to continue, and now for people like Sumaiya to do the same with the final version is beyond humbling.
The British Academic One
First off my book is available to buy in the UK! I found it on a UK online bookstore here Blackwell's UK
"Under the Full and Crescent Moon" is a captivating story that got my attention from the introduction!
It combines beautiful mental images with valuable lessons. The characters have both weaknesses and strengths. I was thrilled to "get to know" wise, powerful women and sensitive, emotionally intelligent men. How the young protagonist defends her city will definitely surprise you!
Beyond the fictional element, the book offers an accurate presentation of the process of legal decisions in Islamic practices. This is very educational for lay Muslims and non-Muslims alike, helping them grasp the complexity of the topic. As a Muslim woman, I finished the book with a sense of longing for this community. I would happily pack my bags and relocate there if it existed today!" - Sofia Tsourlaki PhD researcher and supervisor of postgraduate dissertations at SOAS, University of London, lecturer in Islamic Studies and Philosophy of Religion.
This is such a special blurb for me for a lot of reasons. I found Sofia's social media and her view of Islam is very similar to mine and on top of that she is an accomplished academic about Islamic History a topic that drives the plot of "Under the Full and Crescent Moon". I just reached out to her cold and really didn't expect her to respond. That she did, read the novel, and gave the story her stamp of approval, really means the world.
Plus she lives in the UK and the novel is available from UK bookstores! Just the hope that my novel could have an international presence is just the stuff that dreams are made of.
The Generous One.
"Aamir Hussain’s Under the Full and Crescent Moon is a wholesome, enchanting tale set in a medieval Muslim matriarchy that tackles critical and necessary questions about current Islamic principles, customs and interpretation. Meticulously researched, Hussain’s stellar debut invites reflection, debate and dialogue. Mashallah" - Salma Hussain, author of The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan, a Quill & Quire 2022 Book of the Year
First off Salma has no relation to me. I didn't realize that we had identical last names until I made graphics for my blurbs. She is in fact an incredibly prolific creator. She's written an award winning young adult novel in The Secret Life of Mona Hasan, she's got a small book of poetry out now entitled What if Maybe and other poems and cohost on a season of a podcast focused on South Asian storytelling Zubaani.
This is to say she is an incredibly busy creative force and yet she still takes time to uplift others. I do not know if anyone will ever come to me for help like I did when i reached out to Salma. I can only hope that if that ever happens I will be able to pay her favour forward.