Temple Folk

Very strong collection. Bilal does an excellent job of illuminating the regular people behind the Nation of Islam, which is a demographic I've never before seen addressed in fiction. She doesn't shy away from the hard parts of the faith, but doesn't paint it as all bad - this faith, and these people, are complicated and confused and hurting and loving and strong and very, very real. Enjoyed this and would recommend. (Aspen Words longlist 2024)