Amal Awad: 5 books

"Like any teenager, I had modest career aspirations. In my case, I would take singing lessons in order to develop my somewhat decent singing voice, before proceeding on to an illustrious career in musical theatre. My ‘Everest’ was to play Christine in Phantom of the Opera, though being the reasonable...

Amal Awad's life changed when her father was diagnosed with kidney failure. It was a shock to see the impact it had on him, both physically and mentally, and the way the side effects trickled onto those around him. Work had always made him feel whole and retirement was a challenge. On a mission...

“So I was turned off a suitor when I saw his shoes. Despite the Arab warrior preference, I didn’t really care about looks. But I had a general rule: if the suitor came in wearing shoes with tassels, a leather jacket circa 1982, and/or a moustache, the doorknock appeal would fail from the outset....

“Guilt is an emotion for which I have no time. It's exhausting, stops you from having any fun, and is the equivalent of one of those T-shirts that says ‘I went to [insert adventure] and all I got was this lousy T-shirt’.” In recovery mode after a messy divorce from a non-Muslim man,...

Magnificent. Surprising. Illuminating. Australia needs this book. NIKKI GEMMELL As someone who has a foot in both the Western and Arabic worlds, Amal set out to explore the lives of Arab women, in Australia and the Middle East, travelling to the region and interviewing more than sixty women...