Alicia Erian's debut novel unfolds the story of an
Arab-American girl navigating an unfamiliar suburban and cultural
terrain with no emotional support or direction. TOWELHEAD, narrated
by 13-year-old Jasira, is set in 1991 against the backdrop of the
first Gulf War.

Where this book is headed is indicated from the start. Shortly
after the story opens, when Jasira's mother finds out that her
boyfriend has shaved her daughter's pubic hair --- an act most
would find reprehensible --- what does she choose to do? She keeps
the boyfriend and sends Jasira from their home in Syracuse to live
with her father in Texas. In Houston, Jasira struggles to adjust to
her new life. Classmates call her names like towelhead and camel
jockey. Her Lebanese father's strictness spills over into verbal
and physical abuse. Her emotionally absent mother (who's of Irish
descent) washes her hands of the daughter she can't seem to love or
even connect with.

Jasira's loneliness and curiosity about her awakening sexuality
lead to a fixation with Mr. Vuoso, a married Army reservist who
lives next door. His blatant bigotry doesn't stop him from
developing a relationship with Jasira that leads to his
manipulating and sexually assaulting her. Mr. Vuoso isn't the only
one who wants something from Jasira --- her father wants an
obedient daughter, her mother wants validation, and her friend,
Thomas, wants to practice his sexual prowess with her.

The one shining light in Jasira's life is Melina, a neighbor
expecting her first child, who takes the girl under her wing and
asks for nothing in return. Melina wants only to protect Jasira
from both Mr. Vuoso and her abusive father. What Jasira finds with
Melina is the simple caring that her own family lacks. "She waited
for me to get my seat belt on before she started driving, which I
thought was nice," says Jasira. "Daddy always started driving as
soon as he had his own seat belt on, even if mine wasn't on yet. It
always made me feel like he hoped we would get in an accident
before I could buckle up."

One of the challenges of writing in the voice of a 13-year-old girl
is finding a balance between relaying information necessary to the
story --- such as the political climate of the time --- and
maintaining thoughts and actions consistent with someone this age.
Erian does this admirably, and seeing the world from Jasira's
perspective is what gives the story its texture.

The deftness of Erian's writing is particularly evident in subtle
turns of phrase that relay observations Jasira makes but doesn't
fully understand, such as when she remarks, "I noticed that Mrs.
Vuoso didn't really have any breasts, and I wondered if that was
why her husband wanted to touch mine." The first-person narrative
heightens the tension in the story, and at times it's like watching
a train barrel down the tracks --- you know it's headed for
disaster but can't do anything to stop it.

TOWELHEAD is an affecting portrait of adolescence and the need for
acceptance. It's a coming-of-age tale that's both shockingly honest
and unexpectedly poignant --- not to mention compulsively
readable.