Virgin of the Rodeo Book

This was amazing. I heard of it when it came out and was turned off by the title. Not only did it seem motivated by shock value but I hate the ubiquitous use of "American" to modify titles, as thought it were significant. American Beauty, American Idiot, American Woman, American Psycho, etc. Overused. (Well, I sort of give American Beauty a pass because of the wordplay since it's the name of the cultivar of rose, but still...)
Anyway, and I wouldn't have liked it so close to the actual events of9/11, but now 9 years after it was published it doesn't seem like a bit of flippant publicity-seeking ephemera. It's actually good. You should read it. You should be aware that--and again this is where the grand title and timing hurt it--it's not supposed to be like the definitive word on muslim-american relations or even John Walker Lindh types. It's an idiosyncratic take on it, by which I mean the author cares more about the story of this particular character than she does about Saying Something. Abraham is very skilled at putting down words on the page (this is my highest praise of a writer). The story telling is skilled and, specifically the fragmentation and analog elements towards the end, was a little ahead of its time.
All of this is odd to say as my sympathy for the main character was very half-hearted, but that just highlights to me how much I like the writing.

*spoilers*

The form of the writing sort of changes to meet the subject of the story. What I liked about Abraham in a previous book and in this one was her good writing about religion which can be understood by me, a non-religious person. The main character is thinking about whether some higher power cares about whether he and his friends get good waves for surfing and if in general religion is necessary to protect people from nature.
"He was still undecided. It depended on how you thought of God. If God is nature, then God doesn't care, since nature doesn't care. But if, as the mystics understood, God is the best of man and within man, then God cares, since man does."

At the end, the writing has a little more flair, which well matches the drama of the immediately-post-9/11 time. The mother has pinned her hopes on her missing son sending them word on Thanksgiving.
"And again the news offered no news: On CNN, a rerun of Larry King interviewing the widowed and the suffering. On CNN2, a rerun of Larry King interviewing a fatherless son. On CNN3, a rerun of Flight 11 flying toward the first tower, in slow motion. On CNN4, a rerun of the tower collapsing, in slow motion, and again the towers fell, again people jumped and died. On CNN5, a rerun of Larry King interviewing a motherless daughter, a daughterless father, inverviewing the motherless, fatherless, wifeless, husbandless, childless, shameless--disgusted, Bill pressed POWER and beheaded King, exiled CNN, and the world went dark. They sat relieved in the silence and dark. Not much road traffic now, but somwhere in the distant overhead the honk and flap of southbound geese, instinct bound, in vees for victory. The turkey was still on the table; the sides were still out. Let all who are hungry come aned eat. Let all who are tired come home."