2012 book 15

Ayad Akhtar's American Dervish
OK guys, this book is REALLY REALLY good. It's the story of Hayat, a young American-Muslim boy, and what happens when his mother's best friend Mina and her young son leave Pakistan to live with his family (which is complicated enough as it is, with a father openly cheating on his mother, who is interestingly [and somewhat hilariously] philo-Semitic), and what happens when Mina falls for a Jewish man. And it's also about Hayat learning about his Muslim faith from Mina--and from others in their community--and how his views of religion impact all their lives. But, you know, awesome? Really really great family/cultural drama here, great characters--I was totally engrossed in this and got weepy more than a few times. I know it's only January but this will probably be on my best of 2012 list. A.