“A bold, intimate, welcome examination of reconciling one's faith in America.” —Kirkus
“Idliby is an eloquent and informed spokeswoman for her faith, and voices like hers are needed in today's charged political climate.” —Publishers Weekly
“An unflinchingly intimate and honest examination of some of the most difficult issues that have come to define the ‘coming of age' experiences of American Muslims. This is essential reading for those who have ever feared or been feared and anyone who has ever asked, ‘Where are the moderates?'” —Reza Aslan, author of Zealot and No god but God
“Burqas, Baseball and Apple Pie is a lovely and lyrical look into the life of one American Muslim woman and her family. It will expand and enrich your view of Islam and America.” —Eboo Patel, author of Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice and the Promise of America
“A powerful memoir of being a Muslim woman and mother in post-9/11 America. It touches the soul of the reader and brings home the simple truth that the heart of America and the heart of Islam can indeed beat together as one.” —Kamran Pasha, author of Mother of the Believers
“Ranya Idilby is one of my best teachers and heroes. As a Jew married to a Muslim, with a daughter whom I want to raise with pride for all her rich backgrounds, I read Burqas, Baseball, And Apple Pie with poignant fascination. Ranya's exploration of bringing up her kids in a post-9/11 world is a must-read for ALL parents who want to raise compassionate, modern, global children.” —JJ Miller, Supervising Producer, HuffPost Live
“Muslims are a growing part of American society, yet most Americans know little about their values, hopes and aspirations. Ranya Tabari Idliby's book goes a long way to address that problem. This is an incisive and passionate book about the everyday struggles of Muslims Americans to be both, to bridge the divide between Islamic faith and American culture, personal identity. This is a wonderful read for all Americans.” —Vali Nasr, author of The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in retreat and The Rise of Islamic Capitalism, Why the New Muslim Middle Class is the Key to Defeating Extremism
“In this thoughtful and courageous memoir, Ranya Tabari Idliby takes on the intolerance of so-called ‘patriots' and the fundamentalism of those who consider themselves religious ‘purists' and teaches us all important lessons about what it really means to be an American and a Muslim.” —James Zogby, founder and president, Arab American Institute, and author of Arab Voices
“Fearlessly honest, Ranya Idliby lifts the veil of mystery cloaking the lives of American Muslims. With powerful prose that reads like a conversation over coffee with your best friend, Burqas, Baseball, and Apple Pie is at once the story of an accidental Muslim woman raising her children to be proud American Muslims, the universal story of every mother who wants her children to be empowered and safe from religious barbs and bullies, and the inspirational story of our nation's continuing struggle to find our common humanity--no matter the obstacles and hatred thrown our way.” —Joyce S. Dubensky, CEO, Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding
“This is the story of a young Muslim-American woman of Palestinian descent who took great joy in her religion and in being an American. The story is interesting, insightful, inspiring and at the same time a bit sad, in that Ranya Tabari Idliby worked hard to manage her two identities Muslim and American both of which she loves – a task that became much more difficult after 9/11 and the intensification of stereotypes of Muslims being violent, brutal and anti-democratic. She has spent much of her life trying to communicate the messages of peace, moderation and compassion at the core of Islam to an American public, many of whom have embraced the stereotype of Muslim terrorism, violence and hatred of the West. That task became yet more difficult as her children grew up in the public school system and had to deal with those same stereotypes from their classmates and friends. There is no end to this story: it is for the author and surely many other American-Muslims – still being written hopefully to achieve the values of pluralism and respect for diversity that are at the core of America.” —Carol Lancaster, PhD, Dean, School of Foreign Service, Professor of International Relations, Georgetown University
“A refreshing approach on Muslim identity! Idliby utilizes crucial aspects of motherhood to tell her tale about finding faith and empowering her children through her journey. The book delves into the difficulties Muslims endured after 9/11 by answering the arduous realities Idliby's children face at school, in class, and on the playground. She confronts the 'Muslim Scare' head on by providing her children with essential tools to find strength in their beliefs and combat the challenges of being a Muslim in the post 9/11 America” —Daisy Khan, Executive Director, American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA)
