Published: 2024
Series: N/A
Author: Sarah Mughal
Illustrator: N/A
Genres: Young Adult, Poetry, Contemporary, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Islam, Muslims
Audience (Grade Levels): High School (Grades 9-10, 11-12)
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Link: Hope Ablaze
Triggers: Islamophobia, victim blaming, police brutality, wrongful incarceration
Review By: Gina Iorio
Publisher’s Summary:
“She lost her words but found her voice.
All My Rage meets The Poet X in this electric debut that explores a Muslim teen finding her voice in a post-9/11 America.
Nida has always been known as Mamou Abdul-Hafeedh’s niece – the poet who will fill her uncle’s shoes after he was wrongfully incarcerated during the war on terror. But for Nida, her poetry letters are her heart and sharing so much of herself with a world that stereotypes her faith and her hijab is not an option.
When Nida is illegally frisked at a Democratic Senatorial candidate’s political rally, she writes a scathing poem about the politician, never expecting the letter to go viral weeks before Election Day. Nida discovers her poem has won first place in a national contest, a contest she never entered, and her quiet life is toppled. But worst of all, Nida loses her ability to write poetry. In the aftermath of her win, Nida struggles to balance the expectations of her mother, her uncle, and her vibrant Muslim community with the person she truly wants to be.
With a touch of magic and poetry sprinkled throughout, Sarah Mughal Rana’s Hope Ablaze is heartbreaking, often funny, and ultimately uplifting, not only celebrating the Islamic faith and Pakistani culture, but simultaneously confronting racism and Islamophobia with unflinching bravery.” (Goodreads)
Review:
I will confess I have read very few books on Muslim Americans and my knowledge of Muslim history/religion comes from 101 classes in college. That is why I loved this novel so much, because it was a powerful story about a Muslim high school girl trying to live her life in a world that is prejudiced against Muslims. As she struggles to find meaning in a world that seems to hate her, Nida relies on her poetry to help her express her feelings. And throughout the novel there are Nida’s poems which help the reader understand the pain and rage she is experiencing. In addition, she also faces pressure from her family on how a Muslim young lady should act.
One aspect I did not enjoy was the magical realism used in the book. I thought it took away from the importance of this novel and almost made it campy.
The book is very political, which I found interesting, but others might find it overwhelming. The publisher compares this book to Poet X, which I understand because both characters are very similar. However, I believe students who enjoyed The Hate U Give will also enjoy Hope Ablaze.
Hope Ablaze is a book that every teenager should read in school. She lost her words but found her voice.
All My Rage meets The Poet X in this electric debut that explores a Muslim teen finding her voice in a post-9/11 America.
Nida has always been known as Mamou Abdul-Hafeedh’s niece – the poet that will fill her uncle’s shoes after he was wrongfully incarcerated during the war on terror. But for Nida, her poetry letters are her heart and sharing so much of herself with a world that stereotypes her faith and her hijab is not an option.
When Nida is illegally frisked at a Democratic Senatorial candidate’s political rally, she writes a scathing poem about the politician, never expecting the letter to go viral weeks before Election Day. Nida discovers her poem has won first place in a national contest, a contest she never entered, and her quiet life is toppled. But worst of all, Nida loses her ability to write poetry. In the aftermath of her win, Nida struggles to balance the expectations of her mother, her uncle, and her vibrant Muslim community with the person she truly wants to be.
With a touch of magic and poetry sprinkled throughout, Sarah Mughal Rana’s Hope Ablaze is heartbreaking, often funny, and ultimately uplifting, not only celebrating the Islamic faith and Pakistani culture, but simultaneously confronting racism and Islamophobia with unflinching bravery.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- English Language Arts (ELA): This novel serves as a phenomenal asset for high school ELA classrooms analyzing verse novels or contemporary fiction. It provides a direct text-to-text comparison opportunity with The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, offering rich discussions on protagonist growth, writing style, and prose integrated with verse.
- Social Studies & Political Science: The book’s deeply political framework makes it an insightful companion piece for history or civics units analyzing post-9/11 America, the war on terror, and the socio-political dynamics of modern political campaigns and electoral politics.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Instructors can utilize Nida’s narrative to evaluate themes of identity development, handling systemic prejudice, managing family expectations versus individual aspirations, and navigating trauma-induced blocks in creativity or personal expression.
- Extension Activity / Library Application:
- High School Literature Circles & Book Clubs: Ideal for independent reading blocks, multicultural book clubs, or school library displays highlighting contemporary OwnVoices fiction.
- Poetry Workshop Activity: Have students write original “letters of expression” or narrative poetry modeled after Nida’s verses, exploring how written words can serve as safe havens for processing complex emotions, community pressures, or structural challenges.
- Diversity & Representation: The text is an essential addition to contemporary OwnVoices young adult literature. It directly celebrates Islamic faith and Pakistani cultural traditions while offering an unflinching, authentic perspective on the specific realities of Islamophobia, racism, and social stereotyping encountered by young Muslim women in contemporary America.
Readalikes:
- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
