Snippet #31

           “I took 8 showers in a row – and I still felt dirty. I still feel dirty now, and I don’t even know if that’s normal.” Sophie’s fingers traced the rim of the coffee mug in her hands. Sophie didn’t even drink coffee. The smell of it just calmed her down.

            Jonáš came into the kitchen. “Wow. Super hygienic, aren’t you?”

            Sophie ignored him.

            I cleared my throat.

            The silence was stifling. 

Snippet #21

“If you don’t like wearing it, why do you?” I could tell that this was one of Sophie’s serious questions.

“I wear it because I got in the habit of it. It’s a compromise. My grandmother wears the paranja. I didn’t want to. It makes my family feel more comfortable; it makes life easier for those around me. I wear it because, in Tashkent anyway, I don’t get unwanted attention. I wear it because I feel safe. It’s like home, only wrapped around my head.”