Hail Mariam, Huda AlMarashi
Hail Mariam, Huda AlMarashi
List: $15.00 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.50

Hail Mariam

Author: Huda Al-Marashi

Narrator: Karla Maatouk, Huda Al-Marashi

Unabridged: 4 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/24/2026

Synopsis

Hail Mariam is an interfaith Muslim take on Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret drawn from the author’s own experiences in Catholic school.

Sixth grade wasn’t supposed to be this complicated.

Iraqi American Mariam Hassan transfers to a local Catholic school and before her first day her parents remind her that she might be the first Muslim her classmates have ever met. No big deal, right? Just represent an entire religion while making new friends, keeping up with schoolwork, and figuring out who she is.

When Mariam’s younger sister, Salma, is diagnosed with a serious lung condition, her family faces endless doctor visits and sleepless nights. Mariam tries to lighten their burden and keep her own problems to herself—including the fact that she’s just been cast as Mary in the school’s Christmas nativity play.

Mariam wants to honor her faith and her new community, but she’s terrified of crossing a religious line. Can a Muslim girl be the lead in a Christian story? What will her family think? And why does she feel like every decision she makes represents all Muslims?

Mariam discovers that faith, much like friendships, isn’t about perfection—it’s about connection. As she leans on her family, friends, and school community, she begins to see the power of interfaith cooperation and learns she doesn’t have to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Hail Mariam is a celebration of the beauty of finding common ground.

About The Author

Huda Al-Marashi writes for both children and adults. She is a coauthor of the middle grade novel Grounded, which won the Walter Dean Myers Honor award, and the author of the memoir First Comes Marriage: My Not-So-Typical American Love Story. Her other writing has appeared in various anthologies and news outlets, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, and al Jazeera. She is a fellow and mentor with the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Program, and she lives in San Diego, California with her husband and three children.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Selma on February 24, 2026

This was such a fun, wholesome, low-key emotional read for me 🥹💛 .. I didn’t expect to relate to Mariam as much as I did, but wow… it felt a little too familiar. Being one of the only Muslim girls in a Catholic school… same!!! The confusion. The overthinking. The “is this okay for me to do?” spiral.......more

Goodreads review by aforestofbooks on February 28, 2026

I wish I had this book when I was Mariam’s age/a little older. Muslim kids these days are so lucky to have access to books like this one. Overall, I did enjoy this book. I related a lot to Mariam as a character, and her experience in Catholic school reminded me a lot of my own experience going to my......more

Goodreads review by Jeneane on January 27, 2026

In the evolving landscape of middle-grade literature, stories that bridge the gap between cultural heritage and the American experience often provide the most profound lessons in empathy and self-discovery. Huda Al-Marashi’s upcoming novel, Hail Mariam—scheduled for release in February 2026 by Kokil......more

Goodreads review by Kirin on March 15, 2026

In 188 pages, this middle grade book packs a lot in: immigrant children expectations, the similarities and differences between Catholics and Muslims, Sunnis and Shias, culture and religion, all while sixth grader Mariam is starting a new school, a Catholic one- as a Muslim, having her first period s......more

Goodreads review by Doreen on March 12, 2026

Every time I think parts of my Malaysian Muslim upbringing were strict, I run up against really weird shit from other Muslim cultural denominations and I'm all "wow." Which isn't to run them down at all! And perhaps nowhere is this sort of reflection more appropriate than in a book about a twelve ye......more

Quotes

Praise for Hail Mariam by Huda Al-Marashi:

“The thoughtful story tackles enormous topics with care and contemplation.” —Booklist

“A refreshing and thought-provoking look at a Muslim girl’s very relatable middle school experience.”—School Library Journal

“ In Mariam, Al-Marashi has crafted an intensely relatable protagonist—one who sometimes sags under the weight of others’ expectations yet meets challenges with aplomb. A heartfelt and insightful celebration of family, identity, and connection.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Mariam’s first steps toward understanding ‘how one religion can believe something is wrong, and another religion can believe that the same thing is good and holy’ is realistically complex.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List