Book Review: The Almond: The Sexual Awakening of a Muslim Woman

I picked up this book because I wanted to be open-minded and read something different. I don't usually read erotica, but I bought into all the hype around this book. The novel revolves around Badra, a young Muslim woman who comes to Tangiers to escape a failed marriage and moves in with her progressive aunt. She falls in love with playboy doctor Driss who opens her to a world of all types of sexualities. After reading it my mind didn't change about sexually graphic writing, as I seem to be more conservative than I thought I was. However, I found the semi-autobiographical book to be an eye opener into the lives of Muslims, which is contrary to Western media images. Islam has long history for erotica, such as Arabian Nights, which has suppressed today by many radical Islamic clerics. Nonetheless I recommend the book for the adventurous and less conservative.