Bahia Abrams

 

 

BAHIA ABRAMS was born in Brooklyn, New York to parents of Syrian Jewish heritage. She received her degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, and for many years worked in Washington, D.C. She lives with her husband in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Visit Bahia online at http://www.theotherhalfofmysoul.com
 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book: RAMI, a bright, charming eighteen-year old Shi’ite Muslim from Aleppo, Syria, was part of the underprivileged class in his country. His religious parents eked out a living working their pastry stand at the Aleppo Souq. One afternoon, two emissaries from the Syrian government called Rami out of class, instructing him to prepare for America where he would attend the University of Maryland. Ibrahim and Salha warned their son of the immoral, corrupt Americans; the dangers of the pervasive, evil Jews who live there; and the need for Rami to observe Islam and keep to his own kind. Rami was unaware that he would owe his life to the terrorist organization al-Shahid.

RAYNA, a religious Syrian Jew from Brooklyn, New York, was born into wealth and privilege. She dreamed of studying journalism away from the constraints of a community steeped in orthodoxy and Syrian culture. Intelligent and tenacious, Rayna struggled with her parents, determined to leave home and attend the University of Maryland. Abe and Sarah lectured their daughter about remaining a virgin until her wedding night, observing the laws of Judaism and all its holidays, and keeping to her own kind. She was unaware of what fate had in store for her.

RAMI AND RAYNA defied their respective doctrines and dared to love. Grappling for survival, they collided with conflicts and hatreds that divide Muslim and Jew, endured harsh backlash from intolerant and hostile parents, and suffered at the hands of a tyrannical and erratic leader in al-Shahid. Together, they journeyed into the depths of humanity.

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews
"Set against a collegiate background in Maryland, the main characters are anything but white-bread teens. Syrian-born Rami is a passionate Muslim drawn into the clutches of an extremist terrorist organization. Rayna is an American-born Syrian Jew raised in Orthodox traditions but longing to experience life beyond the confines of her upbringing. When the two opposites attract, their taboo relationship sparks intolerance on all sides." The Mountain Express, Asheville, NC 

 

"Bahia Abrams skillfully confronts the truths of our existence, creating a riveting tale that brings out the best and the worst of humanity.  Accosting religious fanaticism, this powerful love story will strike at your deepest emotions and challenge your innermost thoughts.  The Other Half of My Soul must be read to the very last gripping page. I could not put this book down."   Marlene E. Post, past President, Hadassah International

 

"The Other Half of My Soul is a contemporary update on the classic love story of two people whose passion for each other is forced to confront not only the ancient constraints of family and religion, but the new geopolitical challenges that have arisen from the rubble of the World Trade Center attacks as well.  Bahia Abrams' novel is rich with romance, action and intrigue, and in the end her book bears a powerful message about the ability of individual human beings to defeat the hateful dictates of ideology." Dan Cabaniss, Gainesville State College

 

"History-related fiction sometimes conveys reality better than scholarly literature.  Bahia Abrams has done so with her first novel, a love story thriller, which vividly relates the calamities religious fanaticism produces.  The story is uplifting by its suggestion that love can overcome even the greatest obstacles."  Doctor Walter Ziffer, author of The Birth of Christianity from the Matrix of Judaism

 

"Driven by suspense and mystery, The Other Half of My Soul is an utterly captivating story of culture clash overcome by the power of love.  Deftly plotted with engaging characters, the reader will immerse into an incredible learning experience, glued to the pages long into the night.  For a first-time novelist, Bahia Abrams scores a ten." Marshall Frank, author of Militant Islam In America

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?

 

Bahia Abrams: I have always enjoyed writing, from as far back as I can remember. Writing energizes me. Through words, I can create. I can touch people, trigger emotions, crystallize the realities of humanity and of our world.

 

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com: THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL is a very ambitious first novel that is near perfect in so many ways; character, plot and setting. This is a 'classic' love story for our time. Do you believe in 'Love at first sight'? Did you set out to write a love story?

 

Bahia Abrams:  Yes, I did set out to write a love story. Loving someone who is so different than you is not an easy situation to be in. In any tight-knit community, tolerance and acceptance threaten a religious group’s survival. When I was young and vulnerable, I was taught that others who were not like us, were not as good as us.

 

Love at first sight is a tricky question. I believe that certain prerequisites must first be met. Getting in touch with your sixth sense, being able to shed preconceived bigotries, learning to love yourself wholly and unconditionally—these conditions must first be met before ‘love at first sight’ can be fully realized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com: Who is Rami? Who is Rayna? Were these characters based on anyone?

 

Bahia Abrams: Rami is a reflection of a Syrian Muslim growing up in an intolerant world. Rayna is a reflection of my years growing up in the prejudiced Syrian-Jewish community. When the two meet, they see each other as human beings. The bigotries and rigidities they grew up with are no longer important.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com: Like any 'great' novel THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL  offers challenges for its characters. What are a few of the challenges facing Rami and Rayna?

 

Bahia Abrams:  Defying their religious doctrines, they dared to love. Because of this, they suffered at the hands of a tyrannical and erratic Muslim leader, endured harsh backlash from intolerant and hostile parents, and collided with conflicts and hatreds that divide Muslim and Jew. Together, they journeyed into the depths of humanity.

 

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com:  I read that you have said with THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL,  "by challenging instilled beliefs and religion help curtail bigotry" - Explain.

 

Bahia Abrams: I purposely wrote about unconditional love between a Jew and a Muslim. I remember a Sunni Muslim once told me that she and her husband would rather their child marry a Jew than a Shi’ite. Harsh judgments and discrimination occur not only toward others who are outside the fringes, but also toward those who are inside the fringes. As long as we are willing to submit  to the dictates of fundamentalist leaders, nothing will change.

 

It is only when we can accept the possibilities of religion being a big business and religion controlling our lives with the fear of God, can we advance to a more tolerant and accepting world. What brought Rami and Rayna was their strong Syrian culture, not their differences of religion.

 

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com:  Explain your title THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL as it relates to character and plot.

 

Bahia Abrams: Rami and Rayna each possessed half a soul. Thus, their half souls were in search of their mates.

 

When Rami was abducted and left for dead in the jungles of Putumayo in southern Colombia, it was a Kofan Indian shaman who tried to heal him with the mystical powers of the yaje plant. In his delirium, Rami had kaleidoscope visions of Rayna during the Inquisition. A wise teacher had given Rami coins for passage to flee Spain. “Hold tightly to the maiden’s hand,” the teacher said. “Do not let go, not until you are both safely on the other side. If your hands separate, she will be snatched from you and you will spend many lifetimes searching for her.” So when Rami met Rayna, her vision was already in his psyche.

 

For Rayna, it was different. She ached to be loved.  When Rami had said, “I love you,” and professed it so honestly, she was hooked. Initially trying to fight an overpowering force tugging at her inner self, she accepted their religious differences and surrendered to her destiny.

 

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com:  With the mainstream success of the film SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, do you have any hopes of turning THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL into a screenplay?

 

Bahia Abrams: Readers continue to urge me to pursue this direction. However, writing a book and writing a screenplay are vastly different. Since I have never written a screenplay, I put this out to all of you. This incredibly gripping and heartwarming story with extraordinary characters will bring out every emotion inside of you. I would welcome an experienced screenplay writer to contact me about exploring the opportunity to bring this intense love story to the screen.

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com: For me, in THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL,  I saw many themes "Journey's" - Rami moving/journeying to the US. Rami and Rayna's journey together. Writing a novel is a journey? Agree or disagree? Explain.

 

Bahia Abrams: I completely agree. Writing The Other Half of My Soul was a long journey in two directions. Traveling back through my childhood, I confronted issues that I would have liked to keep buried. I cruised through happiness and I experienced my first love. My journey forward took me to unimaginable heights. Exploring the formula for committed love and learning about the seeds that fuel hatred, brought me tears and smiles, anger and joy.

 

The quote on the first page of the last chapter in my book by the writer, Thomas Wolfe, captures it all. 

 

We are the sum of all the moments of our lives. All that is ours is in them.

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com:  Define Hajj. Define souq? How much research went into writing THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL?

 

Bahia Abrams: Islam imposes five Pillars on its followers. The fifth Pillar is the Hajj or the Pilgrimage to Mecca. Every adult Muslim, man and woman, is required to make this pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, the city of Muhammad’s birth—if their health and finances allow. The pilgrimage season follows the holy month of fasting, Ramadan.

 

A souq is the Arabic word for a covered marketplace. A souq can be large or small. It can specialize in only one thing, such as jewelry, clothing, produce, or meats, etc. Or it can be a conglomerate of vendors with a variety of goods to sell under one roof. Souqs are most often found in the Arab world in countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Souqs are synonymous with ‘bargaining.’ Vendors and customers have been known to wrangle on a price for hours. Haggling is a favorite pastime in Arab countries.

 

Untold hours of research went into writing The Other Half of My Soul. I not only used on-line search engines, but I also delved into books, magazine, and newspapers. Additionally, I spent hours interviewing people who live or have lived in Syria and Lebanon, South America—including the Triple Frontier region and the jungles of the Amazon. From interviews, I learned about the two attacks on the World Trade Towers in February 1993 and on 9/11. I could also draw from my own life growing up in the Syrian-Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York and from my many travels and places I have lived. The book depicts reality in its most visceral form. One can search for anything in the book and find it. Only the characters are my creation.

 

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com: What do you hope readers will say after reading THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL ? What has been some feedback?

 

Bahia Abrams: I hope readers will ask themselves: Could love ever become the overriding force in the human race?

 

Feedback has been overwhelming: I cannot put the book down. You have crystalized reality head on. This book is more real than non-fiction. I connected with the characters and feel like I know them personally. It stirred up all of my emotions. The ending blew my mind. This needs to be a movie.

 

On the other side—Muslims are angry. They reject the story of  a Muslim loving a Jew. It’s blasphemy. It’s desecrating Islam.

 

Moreover, in the Jewish community, some have condemned me for even suggesting that a Jew and a Muslim could possibly love.

 

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?

 

Bahia Abrams: Queenmaker by India Edghill

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com:  Any hobbies other than writing?

 

Bahia Abrams: I love to go hiking in the mountains.

 

 

 

 

PageOneLit.com: What's next?

 

Bahia Abrams: I am working on a biography about a Jew who was born in Aleppo, Syria. To emigrate, he had to travel to Beirut, then Cairo, then Iraq, then India, then Shanghai, only to find he was stateless, a person with no papers.