Rebels by Accident

Deonna Kelli Sayed interviews writer Patricia Dunn, author of the YA novel, Rebels by Accident,  in this episode of Love, Inshallah’s author interview podcast.

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(Track listing: “Ala Warag il Ful” and “Drum Solo” by Zikrayat. Music in this podcast is found at Free Music Archive: Middle East.)

Sixteen year old Egyptian-American Mariam just wants the normal teenage American high school experiences. After she is busted at a party with her best friend, Deanna — a party the police break up — Mariam’s parents decide to send her to Egypt to spend time with her grandmother, Sittu. Mariam arrives days before the Arab Spring and finds her grandmother to be far more of a delight than she expected (Sittu is a political blogger and Facebook aficionado). Mariam returns to her roots and unearths family secrets, discovers romance, and finally realizes the power of her voice.

Huffington Post hails the work as the next best YA novel, and Rebels by Accident is long-listed for the 2015 Teen Choice Book Awards. Voting ends February 2nd, and you don’t have to be a teen to vote! Cast your ballot here.

Rebels by Accident is an excellent resource for the classroom. Visit the book’s link for Common Core State Standards.

Patricia Dunn’s website includes her comings and goings, and be sure to follow her on Twitter.