Lynda C. (Readnmachine) reviewed on 6/9/2018 + 1474 more book reviews

Mostly, this book is depressing, and unlikely to change anyone's mind about religion in general, or Islam in particular.

If you believe Islam is a religion of peace which instructs its adherents to treat women with respect, you will find support for that belief. If you believe fundamentalist Islams are interpreting the Koran to meet their own needs, and that women are disrespected, abused, and debased under it, you will find support for that belief. If you believe that organized religion in general is a massive scam perpetrated on the ignorant, the disenfranchised, and the easily influenced, you will find support for that belief.

Goodwin traveled through 10 Muslim countries in the Middle East in preparation for the book, studying the religious and political situation at the end of the 20th century, and interviewed dozens of Muslim women, from reformers to devout, privileged and destitute, native-born to Islam and former Christian converts. The story that emerges is appalling, disturbing, and intensely disheartening.

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