For an intercultural communications class required for my writing program, I was recently assigned to read the book "The Girl Who Fell to Earth" by Sophia Al-Maria, an award-winning Qatari-American writer, artist, and filmmaker. Her memoir is a deeply enriching coming-of-age story of her experience growing up with an American mother and Bedouin father. Through extraterrestrial metaphors, dynamic imagery, and little bit of wry humor, she recounts her memories of being forced to live two separate childhoods -- one in the Middle East and one in the Pacific Northwest. She paints breathtaking images of Arabian desert landscapes. She describes climbing mountain tops. She explains feeling lost, jumping off boats, and falling in and out of love. It's a truly moving and inspirational piece of work, in my opinion, but evidently caused a bit of an uproar in the UAE.

As Sophia Al-Maria retells her struggles of making a place for herself in two very different worlds, she also unravels shocking truths about both American and Arabian culture. Based on Western perceptions, culture in the UAE is generally very modest and conservative, specifically surrounding relationship and family values. After "The Girl Who Fell to Earth" was released, some word got out about the reality of Arabian culture. While families usually emphasize the importance of modesty, there seems to be a transition into modernity -- what Al-Maria has coined as "gulf futurism". She has also revealed secrets of people deviating from cultural expectations -- her uncle seeking chosen love rather than arranged marriage, for example. Sophia has received quite a bit of praise for her honest publication, but also a lot of backlash, as many people maintain deep pride in their traditional values and reject that any of this "misbehavior" even exists. Thus, the controversy.

While Al-Maria's memoir may have benefited from some restraint, I personally appreciated her transparency. It was moving and evocative, and it reminded me of the power that lies within each of our own stories. The memories and experiences that we share can affect people in the most surprising and unusual ways. Sophia's memoir may be a radical example, but that definitely doesn't lessen the significance or validity of your own.