Questions
1. How did you come up with the story of No True Believers?
Several years ago my husband was denied tenure at a major American University due to Islamophobia. As a result, we lost our home and moved 7,000 away from family, community and country to start over with three kids in the Middle East (where work could be found). During that time I felt powerless and broken. This was also during the 2016 election and I began to realize that being a minority is much like living in a conspiracy thriller. You feel constantly watched, judged, framed for a crime you haven’t committed (and never would). But ruminating too much on pain, without being proactive, can only magnify it. This book was born out of the realization that pain is a teacher. Pain is telling us something. We have to listen to it. Learn, study, grow. No True Believers was born from that realization, if that makes sense! Came from that.
2. Which scene was the hardest to write without spoiling it?
There’s a chapter when Salma’s younger sisters go missing and Salma is waiting at the house with her grandmother and losing her mind. I wrote this scene straight from the gut. It was hard, because a missing child is a parent’s worst fear.
3. Which character did you feel closely attached to?
All of the them! Except the two Kyles! Salma is my favorite and was modeled in many ways after my eldest teen daughter--in spirit and body. Salma’s mom and her best friend Vanessa definitely reflect aspects of myself (at least in my youth I was a lot like Vanessa). I also have a lot of sympathy for Kate Turner. It was important to show the connection between religious lust for power, violence against women and space in between.
4. What is the message you're sending to the readers?
See next question/answer!
5. What is the meaning of the title of the book?
The title of the book is taken from a line from Rumi: “In the religion of love there are no true believers. Everyone is welcome.” And this is really the journey of Salma and, I hope, the message readers carry with them. For the real enemy among us is not the “other,” but our human tendency to otherize those we don’t like or get or want in our society. The real message is one of humility. Humility, in my humble opinion (haa!), is the strongest medium through which we can build a stronger society. Or, as Salma would probably put it, learning how not to be a rigid, judgemental douchebag. I love Salma in that way. She defies a lot of stereotypes. She’s chill. Neither conflicted about her faith, nor does she think it is superior to other ways of life.She doesn’t fit neatly into any one box. Most of us don’t and I think that’s how most of us want to be understood--as complex humans with real feelings and real issues.
6. Where can readers purchase No True Believers?
Any major retailer! It doesn’t come out till Feb. 11th (with Penguin Random House), but you can pre-order at http://tiny.cc/NoTrueBelievers
7. Are you writing any more books? If so can you tell us?
At the moment I am writing my next YA novel. This one is a novel-in-verse with a touch of magical realism. Part of it is based in Boston, the other in Sarajevo. And that’s all I can say for now!
About You:
1. What is something that you can’t live without?
Trees! The color green fills my soul. I only get it in small doses now that we live in the middle east, but still, every bit of green that I see I cherish wholeheartedly. On that same note, while I miss my family the most while living overseas, I also miss the experience of seasons other than sunny and hot. I miss the scent of a damp forest. Miss that enlivening whip of a cold breeze. Miss the colors of early spring. I miss seasons and feel the loss of that experience on a very deep level. And so, as much as we can, we travel to places that have it.
2. Cats or dogs? And why?
I grew up with both cats and dogs, but cats are a better fit for me. Though I realize that not all dogs are incessant sniffers or lickers or are yippy or smelly or require constant walks, I love the mixed spirit of cats. They want love and attention and want to give it, but are also independent and easy (especially boy cats as girls can be such divas). Having now rescued and rehomed dozens of cats in the UAE and Qatar, I have come to the conclusion that black cats have the best personalities.
3. Where do you like to travel a lot?
Going back to the whole “I miss green” and “seasons” thread, we often travel to Europe. There are many wonderful cities that are a hop, skip and jump away from Doha. We’ve escaped to many delightful places, top three being Istanbul, Prague and Edinburgh.
4. Are you more extrovert or introvert?
Definitely an introvert! I happily spend most of my time writing at home with nothing but the company of cats, coffee, and my kids.
5. What are some of your favorite reads?
There are several author’s whose work I highly regard and will always return to, time and again, for pleasure and study. For YA I love Jason Reynolds, Bryan Bliss, A.S. King, Renee Watson, and John Green. For MG I adore Kate DiCamillo and for PB my heart is loyal to the classics. For me that’s Leo Lionni, William Stieg and Tomi Depoala. Poetry-wise I turn to the Sufi greats like Rumi and Hafez. When I travel I also try to read locally. I think it’s important to venture outside the American experience. On that note, I’ll read anything but really love either basic history books or historic folktales.
6. Where can we find you on social media? Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.
Instagram @RabiahReads
Twitter @RabiahLumbard
Facebook www.facebook.com/rabiahlumbard.books
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