Even though I have only gotten through a third of the book (in less than 24 hours) I know that Ali’s Infidel is a spectacular autobiography because it seamlessly weaves together different domains of life into one, coherent narrative. I really really like the book because you see the threads that connect sexuality to the patriarchy to politics to abuse and to the development of the individual, and because you also get to see and articulate your own culture back to you: how are things different in each of these domains, and for what reasons?
I’m going to try and write out the different domains here because I will definitely return and investigate them all. There’s politics, violence, religion, sexuality, the man-woman dichotomy, coming of age, hierarchy, nationality, and identity.