Ask Me No Questions

4Q3P

Ask Me No Questions is a really good look into the lives of undocumented immigrants and the kinds of hardships experienced by Muslim Americans in the wake of 9/11. This isn't just an "issue" book though; told through an authentic voice, the characters are full and alive, and the family dynamic is very well written. This book may not be as popular as the YA smash hits, but it's an important book that I thinks teens could get a lot out of if they knew about it.

Since emigrating from Bangladesh, fourteen-year-old Nadira and her family have been living in New York City on expired visas, hoping to realize their dream of becoming legal U.S. citizens. But after 9/11, everything changes. Suddenly being Muslim means you are dangerous -- a suspected terrorist. When Nadira's father is arrested and detained at the U.S.-Canadian border, Nadira and her older sister, Aisha, are told to carry on as if everything is the same. The teachers at Flushing High don't ask any questions, but Aisha falls apart. Nothing matters to her anymore -- not even college. It's up to Nadira to be the strong one and bring her family back together again.

5Q 5P (my codes) 4Q 4P (actual VOYA codes)
What do you fight for? What matters most to you? What do you want more than anything in the world?
This story shimmers with fear, hope, longing and action. Nadira's story is at once completely unlike and yet painfully similar to anyone's desire to fit in, to belong, to have a home. I lived through the events of 9/11 in New York City--I walked to work through SoHo that day with a dogged persistence despite taxi radios blaring announcements to avoid Ground Zero and oceans of people fleeing north. I watched the skyline change from two towers to one tower to no towers. Believe me, I would not have read this story then. But anger can change people as we see in Taslima's character--it can paralyze and show more isolate. And reading this story now makes me see the other side of the terrible aftermath of 9/11. I never knew about registration, detainment, and deportation--and again, I might have had a hard time caring back then, willing to paint people with a wide brush of misunderstanding in a haze of anger, fear, and sadness. But as Aisha says in her valedictorian speech, "All I ask of you is to see me for who I am...See me...I want what you want. I want a future." Eloquent storytelling, excellent imagery, and powerfully drawn characters weave together a story that is completely unique, one that will change you and compel you to see inside yourself. show less

VOYA: 4Q, 3P
My “VOYA” Rating: 4Q, 4P

Nadira and her family immigrated to New York from Bangladesh. They’ve, worked, attended school, and built a life there for eight years. Nadira is a quiet, shy, 14 year old that lives in the shadow of her older sister Aisha. Shortly after September 11, 2001 her family seeks asylum at the Canada border but is turned down and her father, Abba, is arrested and detained for an expired visa and suspicious political activity. Slowly, Nadira watches her family start to unravel. Aisha’s determined and confident demeanor crumbles and Nadira must help her stay together. As they work to save their father from deportation, Nadira transforms into a strong, assured young woman that helps put her family back show more together.

Budhos writes an amazing tale of family. Her writing is elegant and touching. She unravels a story of such amazing characters that I felt that I was eavesdropping on this family’s most private struggles. I did tear up numerous times as I felt the pain, strength, fear and sadness that Budhos writes into her characters so well. This is a remarkable book that is not only touching but informs about a subject that few know about. A solid book that I have already recommended to numerous people.

I did read this book through Audible.com. The narrator was amazing. I was surprised at how well she captured the voice of Nadira and all the other characters. show less

It’s hard to be a teenager…trying to fit in with the crowd while also trying to figure out who you are and what you want to be. But when you are seemingly invisible to the society around you, it’s a lot more complicated.

High school students Nadira and Aisha are immigrants from Bangladesh. They have lived in NewYork City since they were young children surrounded by friends and family. Their father (Abba) has been working with a lawyer to acquire the papers to become legal, but for now the family is living on expired visas. Their status as illegal aliens is not a problem, really, until September 11, 2001 when everything changes! Muslims are now targets for harassment and having proper papers is crucial to avoid deportation or even show more imprisonment!

The family tries to flee to Canada where they hope to receive asylum. Unfortunately, when they reach Canada, they are turned away due to the huge numbers of people also seeking asylum. When they try to re-enter the U.S., they are stopped. Abba is led away for questioning and Ma must stay in a Salvation Army shelter in order to be close to him. Nadira and Aisha are sent back to New York City where they are told to stay with an Aunt and Uncle and go to school as if nothing has happened until the situation is straightened out.

Aisha is a senior in high school and has always been the smart and pretty one. Her grades place her in the top of her class. She is a member of the varsity debate team and she has been nominated to be valedictorian of her class. Aisha has always been sure to fit in with those around her. She wears the right clothes, listens to the right music and has the right friends. She is the “star”of the family who will go to college and be someone rich and important someday. Nadira is quiet and a little chubby. She must work for her grades and she has always been outshone by Aisha. But suddenly, Aisha stops trying. She skips classes, misses the championship debate meet and even misses her entrance interview with Barnard College. She believes that it’s not worth trying anymore since they will probably be deported anyway. Now it’s up to Nadira to come up with a plan to save the family.

Budhos has written a compelling story that humanizes the situation experienced by Muslims right after 9/11. The title, “Ask Me No Questions” refers to the fact that illegal aliens often live and work in a community with the full knowledge of its citizens. No one asks for their paperwork, so they don’t have to worry about producing it. In the climate of fear after 9/11 many Muslims were suspected of being terrorists and the need to have proper documentation was critical. In this book, Nadira and Aisha have lived in New York for years with no problem. As far as they are concerned, they are Americans. Suddenly everything they have come to expect about their future is in question. Because the story is told through Nadira’s eyes, the reader experiences her confusion and fear first hand.
Much of young adult literature focuses on teens “coming of age” and “finding their place in the world”. Budhos has created a story of two teens who experience all of that and more. Readers are provided with insight into a problem experienced by more teens than we might imagine. This is a thought-provoking and eye-opening book to which teens and adults can relate. show less

(3Q, 3P) I think my favorite thing about this book was how cleverly it worked in a period-piece feel for a time that really wasn't all that long ago--references to the McDonald's obesity lawsuit and to a Season 14 episode of The Simpsons place it as spring 2003. I found myself reading eagerly and becoming absorbed in the narrative (I was almost late to class once because I forgot to stop), though I rated it a bit lower than some of my other selections because it didn't completely rock my world the way some of the others did--and also I'll admit I have a bias towards more fantasy-based selections.

In a cultural mileau where everyone from certain countries and with certain skin-tones is often pigeonholed into a shapeless mass of show more Muslim-ity, without regard for cultural differences (or whether they are even Muslim at all), it's good to see a book that depicts a broad diversity of cultural interpretations-- I liked that all of the characters have their own ways of interpreting and interacting with their cultural backgrounds and have made or refused to make certain concessions to U.S. culture according to their own consciences and best judgement. If you get granular enough, each person is a culture of one. show less

Nadira and her family are illegal aliens from Bangladesh living in Queens, New York, whose lives have gone unnoticed by their host country. But in the wake of 9/11, certain groups of people are being scrutinized for deportation. Nadira's Abba flees with the family to seek asylum in Canada only to be denied and arrested in the U.S. Nadira and her older sister Aisha return to New York to live with their aunt and uncle. Frustration mounts as weeks go by with no progress in Abba's case. Nadira and Aisha decide to write to Homeland Security and their congressman to show why Abba should be set free. The situation takes its toll and the always-confident, outspoken Aisha begins to crumble. Nadira, steady and patient, discovers the spelling show more error in Abba's name on his detention papers. The error is key to freeing Abba and obtaining his residency. Although the solution is rather pat, this is as timely novel about immigration. show less