They

As a book title, that sounds a bit bleak and clumsy. But it’s totally appropriate, and the book it describes is just brilliant. I’d enjoyed Sarfraz Manzor’s journalism, and his memoir about growing up in Luton and having his life redeemed by Bruce Springsteen, later filmed as Blinded by the Light. So I was going to read this anyway, but I’m rapidly thinking it’s the best book I’ve read this year.

The subtitle is “What Muslims and Non-Muslims Get Wrong About Each Other”, and it does bring clarity to a range of misunderstanding, but not in a superior, condescending way. He talks to a wide range of witnesses, working hard to understand them and present their views sympathetically, but he’s also deeply honest about his own misunderstandings and mistakes, and his own journey as a son and lover, husband and father. He doesn’t shy away from grim facts or difficult issues, but he does confront them in a fresh, constructive manner, and for me the overall impact of reading this book was encouraging and inspirational.