If the Oceans Were Ink, Carla Power
If the Oceans Were Ink, Carla Power
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If the Oceans Were Ink
An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran

Author: Carla Power

Narrator: Kate Reading

Unabridged: 12 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/23/2016

Synopsis

Hailed by the Washington Post as “mandatory reading,” and praised by Fareed Zakaria as “intelligent, compassionate, and revealing,” this powerful journey will help bridge one of the greatest divides shaping our world today.If the Oceans Were Ink 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.A 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 cafés, 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.

About Carla Power

Carla Power is the author of If the Oceans Were Ink, a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. She was raised in St. Louis, with years in Iran, India, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Italy. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Time, the New York Times, Foreign Policy, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and the London Guardian.

About Kate Reading

Kate Reading, named an AudioFile Golden Voice, has recorded hundreds of audiobooks across many genres, over a thirty–year plus career and won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. Among other awards, she has been recognized as an AudioFile Magazine Voice of the Century, Narrator of the Year, Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy, and winner of an Publisher’s Weekly’s Listen-Up Award. She records at her home studio, Madison Productions, Inc., in Maryland.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Beth

I will admit that, coming into this book, I was extremely naive about Islam and the Quran. My sole hard-core belief was the same belief I ascribe to any serious religion - that there will always be those who pick and choose parts of their belief to harm others, whether it is gays in Christianity or......more

Goodreads review by jordan

"If the Oceans were Ink” weaves together two narrative threads, either of which could have made for an interesting read. Unfortunately, neither narrative proves very satisfying. Carla Power, the author, decides to seek to understand the Quran. Given our world, one can hardly imagine a more useful in......more

Goodreads review by Tom LA

I picked up this beautiful-looking book hoping to understand a little more about Islam - but I am hugely disappointed. The author is reporting the interpretation of the Quran by one erudite scholar as the correct interpretation, because he’s highly respected and because he’s written droves of books......more

Goodreads review by Salam

"وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَّا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ "- سورة لقمان " And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by seven [more] seas,......more

Goodreads review by Roger

In her yearlong study under the guidance of renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi, journalist Carla Power gained profound insight and clarity of the Qur’an’s humane message of peace and inclusiveness. Her memoir is a remarkably moving tribute to the great knowledge and compassion that......more

Quotes

“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.” Fareed Zakaria, New York times bestselling author of The Post-American World

“A vibrant tale of a friendship…If the Oceans Were Ink 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.” Washington Post

“Engaging…Together [Carla Power and the Sheikh] explore…the significance of veiling and unveiling, the struggle against unjust rulers and jihad, and contemporary wars. Power’s narrative offers an accessible and enlightening route into a topic fraught with misunderstanding.” Publishers Weekly

“This story is not just about the interactions between two people from very different backgrounds and belief systems. It also, through the experience and the insights from the Sheikh, provides an introduction to Islamic thought and practice…Readers interested in Islam or cultural studies will find this an informative and engrossing work.” Library Journal

“Their yearlong debates on issues ranging from the veiling of women to calls for fatwas challenged their own understandings of religion, culture, politics, and friendship and offer powerful new insights into Islam.” Booklist

“Lively…Intelligent and exceptionally informative.” Kirkus Reviews

Awards

  • Pulitzer Prize
  • National Book Award
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