Ask Me No Questions

Budhos, Marina.  2006. Ask Me No Questions. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1416903512.

Summary
Nadira and her family are applying for asylum in Canada after 9/11. At the Canadian border they are told to turn back...there's no room. Her father is detained due to their lack of visas, her mother stays with him, and send Nadira and her sister back to New York to live with relatives.  Nothing is the same as it was before.  Will the girls be able to finish school in the U.S.? Will they have to go back to Bangladesh?  Her whole family begins to fall apart.  Will Nadira be able to bring them back together?

Analysis
There are many cultural markers throughout this story. The first to stand out would be the names of the people throughout the story.  They are traditional and include: Nadira, Aisha, Tareq, Taslima, Naseem, and more.  In addition, Nadira calls her father "abba" and older men she is close to "name-Uncle."  For example, Naseem-Uncle and Ali-Uncle.

Language is also a large cultural marker that brings to light additional markers such as clothing and food.  For example, Nadira mentions her mother's "shalwar kameez" fluther in the wind when she gets out of the car. Some of the foods Nadira talks about about are "pooris," "alu gobi," "biryani," and chicken tandoori.  She also talks about her father going to a "mela" or a fair for the "Pohela Boishakh" or Bengali New Year.

Finally, within the story Budhos writes about Nadira's family's story that includes much of the history and struggles of both Bengal/Pakistan and Muslims in the U.S., especially after 9/11.  This novel showcases the worries and heartache that immigrant families go through whether they are here legally or not.



Review Excerpts
Booklist (starred) - Readers will feel the heartbreak, prejudice, kindness, and fear.
School Library Journal - The author explains their situation well, but the effect is more informational than fiction. Nadira and Aisha are clearly drawn characters, but they don't quite come alive, and their Bangladeshi-American background is more a backdrop than a way of life. Still, this is an important facet of the American immigrant experience, worthy of wider attention.

Connections
Read more about Muslim Teenagers in the U.S.:
Budhos, Marina. Tell Us We're Home. ISBN 978-1416903529
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big in This? ISBN 978-0439922333
Hafiz et al. The American Muslim Teenage Handbook. ISBN 978-1416985785
Beshir, Sumaiva. Everyday Struggles: The Story of Muslim Teens. ISBN 978-1590080306