Saffron Dreams (Academic Edition) - by Shaila Abdullah (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Saffron Dreams is a tale of love, tragedy, and redemption from the award-winning author of Beyond the Cayenne Wall...

You don't know you're a misfit until you are marked as an outcast.

From the darkest hour of American history emerges a mesmerizing tale of tender love, a life interrupted, and faith recovered. Arissa Illahi, a Muslim artist and writer, discovers in a single moment that no matter how carefully you map your life, it is life itself that chooses your destiny. After her husband's death in the collapse of the World Trade Center, the discovery of his manuscript marks Arissa's reconnection to life. Her unborn son and the unfinished novel fuse in her mind into one life-defining project that becomes, at once, the struggle for her emotional survival and the redemption of her race. Saffron Dreams is a novel about our ever evolving identities and the events and places that shape them. It reminds us that in the midst of tragedy, our dreams can become a lasting legacy.

Praise for Saffron Dreams

"Eloquently written, a must-read for any one interested in exploring the lived experiences of Muslim women in the United States."
--Ali Asani, PhD, Professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Cultures, Harvard University

Like Abdullah's story collection, Beyond the Cayenne Wall, this work provides a remarkable, inevitably hopeful glimpse into the daily life of Muslim woman living in America. Highly recommended."
--Faye A. Chadwell, Library Journal

"Saffron Dreams is an unflinching look at the societal pressures of widowhood, the role that art can play in the healing process, and the impact of media bias and stereotyping on the Muslim American community in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks."
--Sandhya Nankani, Literary Safari

"Following Arissa's story makes the reader realize how little most of us know and understand the world of Muslims, and how incredibly wrong so many of our perceptions are."
--Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson, Reader Views

"Word artist Abdullah, through rich description and evocative detail, shares her characters' love story, how it develops and endures through conflict, chaos, and terrorism. The extraordinary power of this book is not to be missed by the serious or casual reader, for it proves that we are all one in our most elemental human needs and emotions."
--Shirley M. Hord, PhD, Scholar Laureate, National Staff Development Counci

The Academic edition of Saffron Dreams includes an Instructor's Manual containing discussion topics and questions for each chapter. Educators can use this manual in their classrooms to stimulate critical thinking, explore key themes of the novel, and brainstorm decisions and actions of the characters at various points. This edition also contains a suggested reading list, glossary, and recipes of dishes mentioned in the novel

About the Author
Shaila Abdullah is a Pakistani-American author and designer based in Austin, Texas. Her first book, Beyond the Cayenne Wall, is an award-winning collection of stories about Pakistani women struggling to find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society. For more information, please visit www.ShailaAbdullah.com.

Saffron Dreams is available in paperback, hardcover, and eBook formats
www.ModernHistoryPress.com

EDU020000 Education: Multicultural Education
SOC048000 Social Science: Islamic Studies
FIC027020 Fiction: Romance - Contemporary

Review Quotes

"In this insightful, intimate narrative, Pakistani-born Arissa Illahi moves to New York City to be with her husband, who had taken a job at the World Trade Center's Windows on the World restaurant to allow time for completing his novel. He perishes when the towers collapse, and Arissa nearly crumples herself as she struggles with tremendous grief, a troublesome pregnancy, and the various trials she faces as a Muslim when others ignorantly associate her with the terrorists. Abdullah excels at examining the complexity of moving on after this historical event, especially from Arissa's unique perspective as a writer and artist struggling to rear a child with special needs. But this debut novel deals with more than just survival in the aftermath of 9/11, also examining the nature of motherhood by juxtaposing Arissa's supportive mother-in-law and less than maternal mother. Like Abdullah's story collection, Beyond the Cayenne Wall, this work provides a remarkable, inevitably hopeful glimpse into the daily life of Muslim woman living in America. Highly recommended."
--Faye A. Chadwell, Library Journal

"Set in post-9/11 America, Saffron Dreams tells the moving story of Arissa Illahi, a Muslim Pakistani-American, as she struggles to fulfill her different roles as daughter, wife and mother, confronting conflicting cultural expectations and Islamophobia. Eloquently written, a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the lived experiences of Muslim women in the United States."
--Ali Asani, PhD, Professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Cultu res, Harvard University

"What really struck me about Saffron Dreams is that the 9/11 attacks aren't the only serious subject addressed in this small novel. Abdullah manages to talk about racism, fundamentalism, widowhood, culture clashes, and the challenges of raising a child with disabilities within its pages. Abdullah's writing is crisp, sharp and clear. She does not mince words; her writing is very precise, each word chosen carefully. I thoroughly enjoyed Saffron Dreams and recommend it to anyone interested in multicultural fiction - it's a great read and you won't be disappointed."
--S. Krishna's Books

"What really struck me about Abdullah's writing is that after a while you forget about the character's religion and relate to her as a human being. As I read some of the bleakest parts of the novel, I was unable to remain dry-eyed and chances are it will have the same impact on many other readers, which in itself speaks volumes of its success."
--Dawn Newspaper

"This book is simply stunning. I don't think I've ever read a book with the depth and eloquency of Saffron Dreams. Shaila Abdullah spins a story so beautifully that each sentence is like the richest of desserts."
--Marta's Meanderings

"There are books that are beautiful simply because they are so positive and pleasant. And there are those that manage to be beautiful in spite of the pain and the suffering and the heartbreak contained within. Shaila Abdullah's Saffron Dreams is both. It was comforting, it was funny, it was spicy; and then heartbreaking, full of despair, filled with hope, amazingly fresh and vibrant and satisfying. Following Arissa's story makes the reader realize how little most of us know and understand the world of Muslims, and how incredibly wrong so many of our perceptions are."
--Reader Views