A Different Kind of Devout Woman

About this book

In historic Prague, Leila Bogdan wears her hijab as a deliberate expression of faith within a society suspicious of her origins and community. She leaves a prestigious job to teach Arabic and Islamic principles without charge, believing religion should create a flourishing and ethical life. The deeper conflict begins not in the street but with an anonymous message whose meaning threatens everything she understands about herself. Sahar Hasaballah blends religious fiction, women's experience, and suspense in a novel about minority identity, service, courage, and a secret capable of making devotion both revolution and vulnerability.