{"product_id":"9780805098242","title":"If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePULITZER PRIZE FINALIST \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • Hailed by \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e as “\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003emandatory  reading,” and praised by Fareed Zakaria as “intelligent, compassionate,  and revealing,” a powerful journey to help bridge one of the greatest  divides shaping our world today.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIf the Oceans Were Ink\u003c\/i\u003e  is Carla Power's eye-opening story of how she and her longtime friend  Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi found a way to confront ugly stereotypes and  persistent misperceptions that were cleaving their communities. Their  friendship-between a secular American and a madrasa-trained sheikh-had  always seemed unlikely, but now they were frustrated and bewildered by  the battles being fought in their names. Both knew that a close look at  the Quran would reveal a faith that preached peace and not mass murder;  respect for women and not oppression. And so they embarked on a yearlong  journey through the controversial text.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA journalist who grew up  in the Midwest and the Middle East, Power offers her unique vantage  point on the Quran's most provocative verses as she debates with Akram  at cafes, family gatherings, and packed lecture halls, conversations  filled with both good humor and powerful insights. Their story takes  them to madrasas in India and pilgrimage sites in Mecca, as they  encounter politicians and jihadis, feminist activists and conservative  scholars. Armed with a new understanding of each other's worldviews,  Power and Akram offer eye-opening perspectives, destroy long-held myths,  and reveal startling connections between worlds that have seemed  hopelessly divided for far too long.\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eIf the Oceans Were Ink\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A vibrant tale of a friendship.... \u003ci\u003eIf the Oceans Were Ink\u003c\/i\u003e  is a welcome and nuanced look at Islam [and] goes a long way toward  combating the dehumanizing stereotypes of Muslims that are all too  common…. \u003ci\u003e If the Oceans Were Ink\u003c\/i\u003e should be mandatory reading for the 52 percent of Americans who admit to not knowing enough about Muslims.”—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“For  all those who wonder what Islam says about war and peace, men and  women, Jews and gentiles, this is the book to read. It is a conversation  among well-meaning friends—intelligent, compassionate, and  revealing—the kind that needs to be taking place around the world.”—\u003cb\u003eFareed Zakaria, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Post-American World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Carla  Power’s intimate portrait of the Quran, told with nuance and great  elegance, captures the extraordinary, living debate over the Muslim holy  book’s very essence. A spirited, compelling read.”—\u003cb\u003eAzadeh Moaveni, author of \u003ci\u003eLipstick Jihad\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Unique,  masterful, and deeply engaging. Carla Power takes the reader on an  extraordinary journey in interfaith understanding as she debates and  discovers the Quran’s message, meaning, and values on peace and  violence, gender and veiling, religious pluralism and tolerance.”—\u003cb\u003eJohn L. Esposito, University Professor and Professor of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University, and author of \u003ci\u003eThe Future of Islam\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A thoughtful, provocative, intelligent book.”—\u003cb\u003eDiana Abu-Jaber, author of \u003ci\u003eBirds Of Paradise\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Language of Baklava\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Holt, Henry \u0026 Company, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47128188944624,"sku":"9780805098242","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780805098242_p0.jpg?v=1769907905","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780805098242","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}