This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Growing up Duaah constantly questioned where she belonged, the country her parents were from or the country she had been raised in. It was a constant battle of desperately trying to fit in America, while still holding on to her Pakistani roots. She found that she couldn’t shed the foreigner status that had been glued to her by both the East and the West. As she got older she saw that many other Muslim and immigrant children had gone through similar struggles which led her to realize she wanted to shed light on their shared experiences. Hammad published Finding Home before graduating high school, in hopes that her writing will bring awareness to the issues that many immigrants and minorities face while spreading hope that everyone deserves to be respected no matter what color their skin is or the religion they practice.
Reviewed by Louise Hurrell for Readers' Favorite
Finding Home is Duaah Hammad's first poetry collection, published when she was 18. The collection focuses on Hammad's experience of growing up in America and visiting her homeland of Pakistan, never feeling truly accepted in both countries. She is seen as an outsider, too liberal in one country but too old-fashioned in the other. Her thoughts and feelings surrounding her predicament are also explored in her poetry. The poems are written in free verse, with no rhythm or fixed form. This style of poetry may not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it. It helped highlight Hammad's feelings; she is very open and honest about how her experiences have affected her. The emotional intensity is laid bare. This is also apparent in Hammad's word choice, which is very straightforward and to the point. Whilst reading Finding Home, you are never unsure of Hammad's position, with the main point of each poem hammered home by the free form and simple, clear language. Finding Home is perhaps not the most accomplished in literary style, but it more than makes up for that in sheer, raw emotion.
During Finding Home, Duaah Hammad tackles many complex subjects, particularly immigration and sexism. She expertly articulates her frustrations and experiences in dealing with prejudice, and never shies away from these difficult subjects. It was refreshing to hear her stories and sadly it is easy to imagine a lot of women relating to these poems. Yet these are important discussions to be had, and Finding Home is a great place to start, as the collection is told in the first-person narrative with an author who is recalling her experiences. An interesting read and an excellent debut collection.
