Uncommon Ground: Hippie to Hijab and Back

A very satisfying story told in a way that takes you right into the places described.It’s adventurous, intriguing and sad but also intelligently told and full of surprises to the very end! I loved it!Regina

I liked this book. A lot. The story - which is based on a true story - is unique and provides insight into a culture that, for most people in the west, is an enigma. This is done without rancor or prejudice, from the protagonist Magdalena's direct experience as a young Western (Swedish) woman who falls in love with a Pashtun man in Pakistan while she is traveling with a friend. She ends up living in her lover's village with his family.This relationship, as one would expect, is not always easy as the two strive to understand each other within the context of their very different cultures and religions, and Magdalena's very deep spiritual yearning. Their lives become increasingly fraught with danger as they go against cultural norms, and they eventually escape to Sweden.The author tells this story very effectively, in the first person, through Magdalena. Throughout the book she quotes from letters written home during Magdalena's time in Pakistan. The letters provide insight to a young woman's desire to live a life of love, both human and the Divine. As the story develops we experience how that expression of her desire for this union develops and changes over time as she is immersed in a culture that is both uncomfortable for her, and also comforting, in it's defined roles and religious expression.I definitely recommend this book. It has translated from its original Swedish into English. The story flows well, is very interesting, and a good read.Ellen Wilhelm

I happened upon this book because of a passing acquaintance with the translator. I found it thoroughly absorbing and most enjoyable; also very reminiscent of the time when I was a headstrong 17-year-old. I appreciated the way the author simply set out the story and framed it as a discovery of what did and didn't work for her, without there necessarily having to be a villain, just incompatibility in the end. Very much recommended.