Slice of Life #19: When a Dystopia Hits Too Close to Home

If you know me well, you probably know that I’m on Instagram, where I mostly post about books. I love this community – I mean, what’s better than a bunch of book nerds sharing their love for reading, celebrating old favorites and new releases?

Today INTERNMENT by Samira Ahmed released, and, since I preordered the book, I found it in my mailbox upon returning home for the night. A few notes on this book: It’s technically a dystopian young adult novel. The dystopia? An America where Muslim American citizens are forced into an internment camp. Tonight, my slicing found its way into my Instagram caption, so what follows is the text from my post:

IT’S HERE!

My excitement for a new book by a beloved author is tempered by sadness and anger. As I read a few lines from page two, I shudder:

There is only Then and Now. There is only what we once were and what we have become.
Two and a half years since the election. 
Two years since the Nazis marched on DC.
Eighteen months since the Muslim ban.
One year since our answers on the census landed us on the registry.
Nine months since the first book burning.
Six months since the exclusion laws were enacted.
Five months since the attorney general argued that Korematsu v. the United States established precedence for the relocation of citizens during times of war.

These lines strike too close to home. Especially today. While I’m not certain this week is the best for its release, I do know that we need more Muslim voices to be heard. Perhaps Internment will serve as a warning. Perhaps it will inspire action. At least I hope it will.