Innocent People

My first novel was conceived on September 11, 2001. I watched the TV reports blaming Muslims and, in the ensuing days and weeks, I saw the misconceptions about Islam being blasted throughout the national media. Muslims were seen simple as "the other." I wanted to give a human face to the exotic image of veils and carpets.

Sadia Abdullah is an American Muslim--her given name is Sally. She's married to a man from Singapore. They have five sons, ages 17 to 6. On the morning of 9/11, she's preparing to go for a job interview--her first since becoming a mother. Tragedy changes her plans and shakes up her world.

Sadia struggles to make sense of the new reality while guiding her sons to a greater understanding of the world. She reaches out to non-Muslims and helps her own Islamic community.

For a limited time, Innocent People is on sale for a special price of $5 per book (and free postage, as usual). Any non-profit organization wanting to order Innocent People for literary and educational purposes will pay only $1 per book for shipping and handling.

The events of that day continue to define us, as Muslims and as Americans.