in this poetry collection, Fatimah Asghar beautifully brings together stories of her own experiences as a Pakistani Muslim in America and the history of the partition, 9/11, and the current American administration

This collection of poems was haunting and it grabbed me in a way that I wasn't expecting. Infinitely relateable for me, "Boy" broke my heart into little pieces and I have yet to gather them up again. The words touch on both the experience of being a woman, being a boy-girl, being different and what it's like to be an immigrant growing up in America.

I cannot recommend If They Come For Us enough.

Wow. This book is so incredibly powerful. I wish I could sit down with the author and hear her stories, crying with her for the pain that Fatimah has lived through.

Some of my favorites:
"For Peshawar" - such a sad, beautiful tribute
"Partition" - eye-opening insight into the struggle of not belonging as an immigrant and minority searching for an identity
"Kal" - this is a neat play on the word kal and the tomorrow/yesterday
"When the Orders Came" - so sad
"100 Words on 45's 100 Days" - SPEAK TRUTH

Ugh. All of them are so good. I recommend this read to everyone who wants to learn more about the struggles of refugees, immigrants, and the Hindu and Muslim population after 9/11.