April One Act: Between Two Moons - Aisha Abdel Gawad

Hi there!

Welcome to our 2026 April One Act for Aisha Abdel Gawad's 2023 novel Between Two Moons.

Content Warning: Mention of Sexual Assault, Mention of Racism/Islamophobia, Mention of Jail/Unjust Incarceration, Bodily Fluids, Property Damage/Vandalism, Boy Mom Energy, Underage use of Drugs/Alcohol

Overall

We felt that we really enjoyed the writing style and tone of the book - lush, visual, and captivating - it was our favorite part. Overall, this book is incredibly pertinent to the Islamic Youth of today and should be required reading for those who may not be familiar with a modern Muslim experience. Our least-favorite part was reading through the redacted portions of paperwork.

We experienced all of the characters as a shown person and not a described caricature. We enjoyed both of the sisters and thier POV's as different individuals. Amira and Lina's points of view are so different that we saw the world totally differently through them.

Individuality and Community Expectations and 9/11

The answer to the question here is messy. It's messy to be a contemporary teen and part of an old religion. And that's okay. As far as some of these characters go, most of them are torn between the two. Amira is torn between Sami and Lina, and Sami is torn between criminal choice and moral adherence, just like the sisters are torn between living their best teenage lives and making normal teenage mistakes, as well as making their parents proud and their Muslim Community proud of them, too.

Another side of this is the demonization of the Muslim community in post 9/11 USA - individuals that are demonized under the umbrella of "terrorist" experience a shitloat of overt racism right out - but also micro-aggressions and nuanced discrimination that is not so clear to identify or understand. Xenophobia has taken a drastic turn since 9/11 against Muslims in general, or anyone who might "look" like they're from "there."

Carrying Grief

Mom carries it in stride and with wisdom that comes with long-held grief of losing her first child out of wedlock. Dad probably alleviates the pressure from his and his family's grief with humor. Sami deals with his grief (missing the growing years with his family while in prison) through chain-smoking cigarettes. Lina deals with the grief of losing the ideal of being a model and the loss of her good reputation and privacy (Andres posting her nude photos) through relying on her sister and family for support. Once Lina realized that her choices were putting her in poor situations, the careless behavior stopped. Amira's grief (of being in Lina's shadow and not being joined at the hip with Lina as they get into their late teens) is carried throughout the book with a burgeoning independence from Lina, and a resistance to requesting permission from Lina or anybody else to do her own thing. As the book gets further in, Amira becomes more confident in herself and returns to help her sister Lina, seeing that Lina is worth more than any boy that may try to come between them.

Things Left Unsaid

Silence plays a major role; it can be used to protect yourself or others from information you don't want shared, and it can be a good or bad tool, depending on how you use it, only when it is indeed useful!

The older generation shown in the book has more to do with helping their kids succeed and providing for their families than anything else. We did like that when Lina came home high, the parents spoke to her, and their mom decided to explain to them about the baby out of wedlock, and show them that she gets it - she really does.

This book felt a lot lighter with the girls being teens and knowing that life goes on. Thankfully, the seriousness was alleviated throughout the novel.

Conclusion

This was so well-done and worth the read; eye-opening for someone who didn't know much about the contemporary Islamic experience of women.

With love, see you soon!

Ceraya & Brieanna