Book Review: Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

Memoir is not a genre I reach for often, but I’ve actually found myself reading a lot of them this summer, both to fulfill specific reading challenge prompts and because some of them just sounded pretty interesting.

I picked up Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H when I was getting my Nook & Cranny cards at the end of 2024, because I knew it would be a good fit for one of the prompts and I’d heard good things about it. It took me months to get around to it, during which time another friend read it and gave it a strong recommendation, so I was pretty excited when I finally cracked it open. I’m happy to say that it really lived up to expectations!

Hijab Butch Blues manages to be a beautiful, thoughtful memoir, while still allowing the author to maintain her privacy. She writes under a pseudonym and doesn’t reveal which country she was born in and which one she spent much of her childhood in. Apparently some publishers thought an anonymous memoir wouldn’t work, but to me, this allows her to have the freedom to talk more easily about personal things that she might not want people in her life to know. I’m in favor of anyone, but especially a multiply-marginalized person, taking steps to protect their peace, privacy, and personal safety.

Lamya contrasts her own experiences of growing up, understanding her sexuality, and navigating life as an immigrant in America after she moved here for college, with stories from the Quran. She shares how these stories at times affirm or challenge her faith, or help her better understand herself and the world around her.

I really enjoyed this, as I’m admittedly not familiar at all with the Quran, and it was interesting to see how Islam presents the same figures I grew up learning about in the Bible, as well as how Lamya personally interprets their stories as a queer woman living in the 21st century.

I also enjoyed reading about Lamya deciding how she wanted to participate in the queer community as someone who doesn’t drink, and thus doesn’t have a lot of interest in going to bars. As someone who came into my queer identity as a married, introverted 30-something, I’ve also been slow to find my way into community.

I love the community she eventually finds with other queer Muslims and how important these friendships are to her.

This book deals with difficult subjects but ultimately it felt so hopeful. Not in a toxic positivity sort of way, but in the fact that there is beauty, love, and community in the world, even when the world hates you, even when you may need to keep parts of you hidden from some of the people you love.

While I, personally, found I could not rectify the faith I grew up in with the convictions I developed as an adult, I do wonder if I would have felt differently if I had found a book like Hijab Butch Blues (or if I had known some of the friends I know now, whose faith and progressive ideals go hand-in-hand). I’d recommend this book for anyone of any faith who is looking for inspiration on how to find your own inclusive and loving path, but I’d also recommend it to anyone who is looking for a thought-provoking memoir.

CWs and TWs: Homophobia, Islamophobia, racism, sexism, suicidal ideation, brief mentions of violence and sexual assault in context of stories from the Quran.

Source and Format: I purchased a paperback copy from Nook & Cranny.

Reading Challenge Prompts

Nook & Cranny (Card 1): In Their Own Words. This is a great prompt for a memoir.

Book Riot: Book about immigration or refugees. Lamya is unflinching in her portrayal of the precarity of being an immigrant, especially an Arab immigrant in the US, the hoops that must be jumped through to get visas, to go to school, to work, to travel to visit family.

World of Whimm: Memoir. That’s exactly what this book is.

SAL/SPL/KCLS: Read in Public. I read most of this book in the following public and public-ish locations: on benches at Des Moines Beach Park, in my car at the parking lot at said park (it was cold and I forgot my jacket), at a brewpub, and at the outdoor table of a local coffee shop. I did eventually give in and finish it at home because it was so good and I didn’t want to wait until I could leave the house to read more.

Physical TBR: This was part of my December 2024 Nook & Cranny haul and therefor qualifies for the Physical TBR Challenge. I donated to Lambda Literary, which supported Lamya H in the creation of this book. Now more than ever we need diverse queer voices to be able to tell their stories. Visit my Physical TBR Challenge post to see all of the books and donations for 2025 so far.

Reading Challenge Progress

Nook & Cranny (Card 1): 11 of 25, no bingos.

Nook & Cranny (Card 2): 19 of 25, 2 bingos.

Book Riot: 13 of 25.

Physical TBR: 8 of 12.

World of Whimm: 20 of 24, 5 bingos.

SAL/SPL/KCLS: 17 of 23, 3 bingos.