Love thy Neighbor by Ayaz Virji is the account of a muslim doctor describing the personal effect that the election of Donald Trump had on his family. This book is a fascinating look into parts of his upbringing, his medical training, as well as current events and how he was affected by them. He pulled out every emotion from me as he went: anger, delight, fear, love, etc. This book shows us both how we are all the same as well as how we are all different. I had not realized how many similarities there are between the religions and found his description of Sharia (a term often misused) very interesting. It also sheds some more light on some rather hypocritical actions and thoughts of certain groups of people as well. I enjoyed reading this book and learning from it, and highly recommend it.

Excellent book! The title is perfect, & basically explains the premise of the book...so I don't need to expand on that! Should be read by everyone! It's very interesting & short enough that I read it easily in 1 day. I thought the chapter structure/layout really made the telling of this accessible & easy to follow. Very timely in this world today, taking on the subject of prejudice & bigotry ......again, should be read by everyone!
I received this e-book from Crown Publishing/Convergent Books at Penguin Random House via NetGalley, in return for reading it & posting my own fair & honest review.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise. ~ Maya Angelou


As you read those words this week, what ideas and traits did they bring to mind? Courage ... Grit ... Resilience? All dispositions we try hard to foster in our students and ones which are certainly exemplified by Ayaz Virji, author of LOVE THY NEIGHBOR. His book relates far too many stories of bias and prejudice which he, his wife, and, even sometimes, his young children experienced.

Having graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine almost 20 years ago, Virji spent close to fifteen years in private practice in Pennsylvania before deciding to move his family to Dawson, Minnesota (about three hours from the Twin Cities). As chief of staff and head of the medical clinic, he answered a call to ease the doctor shortage in rural America. The family are the only Muslims in the area, but they become a part of the community - the children (Faisal, Imran, and Maya) settle at school and Musarrat, his wife, opens her own business. Having felt welcomed and accepted, Virji's reaction to Trump's election is even more emotional when he learns how sixty-five percent of that Minnesota county voted for Trump. Gradually, he realizes that the situation is an opportunity for learning - about the voters' motives (e.g., high medical bills, animosity towards Clinton) and about religion.

Pastor Mandy, an intern at Grace Lutheran Church in Dawson, invites Virji to speak to the community. They title the talk "Love Thy Neighbor" and this book, co-written with Alan Eisenstock, relates the content and context of that lecture. The text is very informative; Virji uses statistics as well as passages from the Bible and from the Quran to support his points about terrorism being separate from Islam, about the role of women, and about Sharia Law. He begins by saying, "I want to talk from love and humanity and diversity. These are the premises of your faith. You know that very well. These are the premises of my faith. These are the premises of every faith."

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. It is worth a read and made me think of other memoirs that prompt readers to reflect on their life's purpose, including Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture and Khizr Khan's An American Family.

Love Thy Neighbor is an important story and a book I would gladly share. I have already talked about this book on social media. The message of this book is important and I feel particularly attracted to it as a believer. Highly recommended.

Love Thy Neighbor: A Muslim Doctor's Struggle for Home in Rural America is a good eye opener. It shows that everyone should listen to one another.
Three and a half stars.

Love Thy Neighbor: A Muslim Doctor's Struggle for Home in Rural America book review – no spoilers – 5 stars
I knew this was going to be an intense read when I requested it but I'm very glad for the experience.
Timely and true, this memoir follows Ayaz Virji, a doctor in small town Minnesota in a post-election Trump led America and the deep societal and emotional impact of the governing decisions made that affects non-white citizens. Living in Canada I can say that I definitely echoed Virji's thoughts during the election. I never thought this would happen either. And then it did.
The novel follows Ayaz as he gives a presentation in and around his small town about his and his family's experiences in hopes of changing minds and teaching others what his faith means. And largely the similarities and misconceptions as the Muslim faith relates to Christianity.
This true account is so very important to read. It adds another name to the injustice displayed and shines a light on those impacted by something referred to as "Minnesota-nice". This is basically the act of not showing one's true thoughts/feelings and then when action is required the outcome is shocking to those who had no idea the person or collective persons felt that way. I've seen this happen where I live but it has never impacted me as it's not directed at me. It's truly disheartening to see though.
Now spoiler but not spoiler, there really isn't a "happy" ending here. But you'd know that already just based off what's happening in the news. The environment has not improved. What we can do is keep talking about this. Keep sharing the stories like Virji has. And maybe, just maybe, there will be a shift.
I highly recommend this read to anyone and everyone.

This book packs a huge punch - and is a necessary read. The honesty, humility, outrage, and truths in this book are so refreshing and educational - personal but also the experience of so many people.

Dr Ayaz Virji is a doctor, father, Muslim, and American. Tired of working in a busy hospital where the main focus is getting patients in and out, he decides to move to a small town in Minnesota to take over a position in the hospital there. He moves with his wife and kids, and after a short period of adjustment to small town America, they find themselves thriving in the community. Dr Ayaz Virji helps expand the hospital, his wife Musarrat opens her own business, and their three kids appear to settle in well at school. And then Donald Trump is elected as president.

After Dr Ayaz Virji’s initial post-election outrage and fearful thoughts he decides to stay put and with the help of his wife and the local Lutheran pastor, Mandy France, sets up a community talk where he provides information on Islam and important truths on Islam, terrorism, women, and Sharia Law. His talk is a success and the group expands their horizons to other local towns with the idea of educating locals on Islam and creating a community of unity (“love thy neighbor”) rather than fear and hate. Some talks go well, others are outright scary, one town even going so far to book an anti-Muslim hate speaker to “counter” Dr Ayaz Virji’s talk. Still, he and his family have stayed put in their home and continue to educate and rise above the rising wave of hate in this country.

Dr Ayaz Virji and Musarrat are remarkable. Brave, human, caring. This book provides an immediate view of how the rising tide of Islamophobia hurts people all over the country every single day, and how ignorance continues to prevail thanks to a continuous rhetoric of hate spewed forth this administration, the media, and social media outlets like Twitter. Being spat on by a neo Nazi last year left its mark on me - I can’t imagine how painful it is to have to live with these types of assaults, aggressions, and micro-aggressions every single day.

This book is a necessary read, and I really hope that it finds itself in the hands of those who need to read it the most (I’m looking at you, people who voted for Trump because they thought he was going to make their lives better).

Thanks to Dr Ayaz Virji for his bravery and service to all Americans in need of education - it makes my heart hurt that he is doing this but soar because hopefully it is making a difference. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

Beautifully written, "Love Thy Neighbor" is a memoir about a Muslim doctor who moves to a small town in Minnesota to practice. There he is faced with racism but confronts it with open arms. It was a sad book to read, but it is one I think everyone should.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

This is a very educational and well-written book that should be read by everyone!
People tend to fear, then hate, what they don't know or understand. I wanted to read
and educate me to be able to explain to others.
It's scary what these people went through to live here and save lives in America!
I am so ashamed of the way people treat others, especially over the last couple of years. It's
like they have a green light to be racist without hiding it anymore.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Love The Neighbor should be read by everyone and taught in schools. This book is well written and emotional.

A memoir of a muslim doctor who serves a community in rural Minnesota and his struggle with the overt hate that he encounters, particularly after Trump's election in 2016 and his decision to reach out and share his faith with his community in an attempt to heal. I picked this up because I grew up in a rural community that was served by Muslim (and others) doctors. Along the way, I learned a bit about Islam.

An insightful account of a Muslim doctor who moves his family to a small town in Minnesota after becoming disenchanted with the in-and-out type of medicine practiced in his former east coast hospital. The small town life is perfect and he and his family feel secure in the community. That is, until the election when Donald Trump became the U.S. president.

Dr. Virji is crushed and disheartened to learn that most of his warm and friendly community voted for Trump.. After learning the news he decides he can't live in the U.S. anymore. He thinks about selling his house, ending his position as director of the hospital and moving his family to Dubai. However, he stays and decides to educate his community on Islam and what it means to be Muslim. The book begins with him standing in front of a packed auditorium at the local high school nervously beginning his talk.

Throughout the book Virji writes about instances when he, his wife and children experienced anti-Muslim threats. There were times when it was outright dangerous for them. However, educating their small community and trying to dispel the negative beliefs about being Muslim, was a way that the Virji family was able to live safely while continuing to live in their small, Midwest community.

It has to be a frightening time in the U.S. for all practicing Muslims. The negative attitudes and threats along with the hatred and reoccurring anti-Muslim violence has become intolerable. Education, understanding and tolerance of all religions and races must continue to be preached over and over again, starting with a government that sets the tone of respecting all its citizens.

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An important book a book about race about living in our country since Trump became president the fear of being a different color a different religion the threats the staresDr.Virji shares with us his and his wife’s experience living in a small town he is a doctor treating the people of the town yet people are still suspicious of him .When Dr.Virji starts giving speeches about being different in America Ifelt compassion respect and admiration for his bravery.A book that should be taught in our schools shared among friends would make an excellent book club selection. #netgalley #crownpublishing

Powerful. Interesting. Love thy neighbor. Simple statement, but a lot behind it.
Great book.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

This book should be a must-read for all Americans to understand the price paid for being non-white in modern America where racism and bigotry is newly emboldened. In this beautifully written books, Ayaz Virji, M.D. tells both the story of his life as a Muslim father and doctor in a small town and details his journey as he gives lectures to first his neighbors then other communities in an effort to get them to see the truth of his religion and put aside the hatred and bigotry that is unfortunately seeing a resurgence in America after November 2016.

I was captivated from the first page. This book is well written and gives some insight into the feelings and frustrations from an “outsider” perspective in rural America of someone who thought he was part of the community until he suddenly wasn’t. A successful and well-liked doctor, who also happened to be a Muslim, in a small midwestern town begins Love Thy Neighbor talks after the 2016 presidential election as a way of debunking myths about his faith. He candidly shares his opinions and feelings on the hatred and racism that he has faced in his efforts to both share knowledge about his faith and just live his life.

I highly recommend this book.

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An honest, first person narrative of a Muslim doctor who moves to small-town USA to provide a service to the community and a quiet life for his young family. His world is turned upside down when Donald Trump is elected president. Dr. Ayaz Virji begins to question how he can possibly stay in this non-Muslim world. He fears for his family. He is angered and insulted by anyone who voted for Trump. He begins giving talks to dispel negative beliefs about Islam and Muslims. He begins to realize that the entire world is not against him and not every Trump supporter dislikes him.
His story is well-written and gives fair time to both the good and the bad that he faces. There is also a good amount of humor. This story is relevant in today's world and also educational.