Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks
This is a study of Islamic women, and of the often contradictory political, religious and cultural forces that shape their lives. The book examines Iran, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jordan and the Middle East. It argues that there is feminism amongst Islamic women, and reveals other startling discoveries that defy western stereotypes about the Muslin world. This study offers an acute analysis of the world's fastest growing religion, and illustrates how Islam's holy texts have been used to justify the repression of women.