Love from a to Z

MARVEL:
LOVE

---

AUTHOR’S NOTE
On MS, Conversion, and Islamophobia
Adam’s multiple sclerosis experiences were written with the help of a
family member who was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS early on in
his life. With support, especially from his wife of more than twenty years,
and good health care, he lives a life of resilience with a positive outlook
rooted in his strong Muslim faith.
However, it must be noted that MS experiences vary and the
circumstances described in Love from A to Z do not typify nor communicate
the full extent of people’s experiences living with the illness.
The depictions of Adam; his father, David; and Zayneb’s mother, Alisha,
as being converts to Islam were also guided by family members of West
Indian and white backgrounds, including my husband, who converted to the
faith at the age of nine (under the guidance of his convert mother). A
member of my Muslim community, the Canadian journalist Steven Zhou,
read the manuscript to ensure accuracy regarding the representation of
converts of Chinese backgrounds (as Adam and David are).
The Islamophobia described in this book is based on true incidents.
Zayneb’s scenes on the flight, at the swimming pool, and online were
written calling upon memories of painful personal experiences—ones that
will resonate with many.
As an educator for more than twenty years, I wish I could exempt
Zayneb’s classroom experiences from this litany of hateful incidents, but in
bearing witness to truth, I really cannot. Three years ago, a high school
teacher at a school board just outside Toronto was fired after a group of
students discovered the Islamophobic content he’d been posting online. The
bravery and courage of these students to go to the school board, to speak
truth to power, inspired parts of my book. I wish I’d been as dauntless as a
teen when I’d sat in classrooms, wincing from the Islamophobia I heard
again and again.
While writing Love from A to Z, I often wondered if all this would seem
too incredulous to some readers—but then I knew for certain that so many

---

other readers would nod their heads in recognition. I write for all of you—
those who know what it feels like and those who don’t, but want to.
Onward, readers, into a better world born from empathy, lit by the sparks
of truth, courage, and love.

---

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
When I was young, it was a cool thing to call into radio stations and request
the DJ to play a song dedicated to someone special in our lives. Love from A
to Z includes music, so to acknowledge those who’ve helped bring this
book to life, I hereby ask the DJ to dedicate these ten songs in the book to
these ten groups of amazing people.