In Dreams of Trespass, Fatima Mernissi tells her memories of growing up in urban Morocco with stories of the women who surrounded her in the courtyard of her youth – her mother, aunts and cousins. Living in a domestic harem and deprived of access to the world outside, these women used their imagination to recreate their own place … a provocative story of a girl confronting the mysteries of time and place, gender and sex in the recent Muslim world.

Questions to think about as you read the book.

•  Hudud or the "sacred frontier" is defined by Mernissi’s father as necessary because "Harmony exists when each group respects the prescribed limit of the other; trespassing leads only to sorrow and unhappiness." What are the possible political and social dimensions of secluding women in domestic harems?
•  What is the significance of the different stories offered by women in the book to explain the origins of harems?
•  A heroine from The Arabian Nights, Princess Burdur, inspires women to "turn the world upside down" when their situation is hopeless. How does this relate to Mernissi’s life and how does it inspire her?

Please feel free to leave your  comments below.

Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is part of a series of programs, Bridging Cultures:  Muslim Journeys, a joint project of the San Jose Public Library and the San Jose State University Library made possible through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Library Association and George Mason University.

Have you ever wanted to travel to Middle East and discover Egypt, Syria, or Lebanon? Have you ever thought to listen to Arabic music or view an Arabic movie or even learn the Arabic Language?

Have no doubt in your mind; all your dreams can become true here at San José Public Library. The Arabic Language collection includes Arabic Books, CDs, and DVDs from many parts of the Middle East. San Jose Public Library’s Arabic Language collection have materials in classical literature, fiction, philosophy, poetry, art, history, politics, and current events concerning many Middle Eastern countries including Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Morocco and others. The Arabic language materials are waiting for you explore and enjoy Middle Eastern cultures. In addition to classical Arabic, you will also distinguish many different Arabic Language dialects from Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Arabia and Gulf states.

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