Al-Andalus Rediscovered: Iberia's New Muslims (Columbia/Hurst)
The range of Marvine Howe's sources is impressive: personal interviews with leaders, the media, diverse publications, and the author's travels and observations over fifty years. This is the new 'culture history' at its best.(Douglas L. Wheeler, author ofRepublican Portugal: A Political History, 1910--1926)A surprising look at today's Spain and Portugal and their struggles to rebuild a modern multicultural society on historical foundations. Marvine Howe's work is not nostalgia but 'rediscovery,' combining her own experiences with sound scholarship to address economic and social problems that are central to our age.(Milton Viorst, author of Storm from theEast: The Struggle Between the Arab World and the Christian West)An influx of Muslim immigrants into Spain and Portugal has prompted a revival of interest, sometimes conflicted, in the distant Islamic past of these two countries. Marvine Howe, a writer rooted in both Iberian and North African cultures, explores the connections, looking at Muslim integration and Islam's place in Europe from an entirely new perspective.(Barbara Crossette, formerNew York Timesforeign correspondent)'Iberia' -- Spain and Portugal -- is reliving an important moment in its history with the arrival of a new immigrant population. Descendants of those who were once driven from the peninsula, their presence causes many questions and debates: How can they live as Muslims in Europe? What is their relationship with their country of origin? And are they a threat? Marvine Howe's book demonstrates her extensive knowledge of the phenomenon. Intelligent analysis and a huge variety of sources make this a must-read title.(Ana I. Planet, expert on Islam in contemporary Spain, Workshop on Mediterranean International Studies, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)