“If the Oceans Were Ink” by Carla Power [second reading]

book review by Riley Burnham 10/22/2026

it’s still good(!!) — i first listened to this audiobook 3 years ago, & enjoyed it thoroughly, & now am practicing Islam, so wanted to revisit it w/ new perspective

it’s a story of an American woman of Jewish heritage interviewing & spending time w/ a Muslim sheikh & his family, learning the ins & outs of the religion — from Qur’an to hadiths, regionally & globally

we hear Q&As from audiences the sheikh is speaking to, regarding things like child marriage, genital mutilation, jihad, shariah law, & other hot topics, w/ wise & consistent responses [local practices vs Islamic guideposts, deeper details into Aisha & Muhammad, the pitfalls of legislating Islam, etc.]

we get a sense of the piety & everyday life behind much confusion [the veil, a good metaphor here, which is a subject discussed at length within]

still highly recommended