When Wings Expand

Winner of the Unpublished Muslim Writer's Award 2011.

She wrapped her arms around me and said, "Nur! I know. I don't want to go. But all I can do is keep trusting in Allah. Nur, I will always be with you! My love and advice will always be with you to guide you in the right direction." She patted my heart. "They are forever sealed inside this little place."

Writing on the pages of her journal, Nur, a teenage girl in Canada, charts the onset and advance of her mother's cancer. Nur watches her mother's body begin to shrink and her mood begin to darken. And when family and friends begin to encroach, Nur must face the prospect of her mother's looming death.

Nur bears the crushing loss and finds her adolescent life more demanding and complex. But with the legacy of her mother's love, her family's support, and the guidance of her faith, she manages to overcome the searing pain and use her newfound strength to bring joy to the lives of others, showing them that after death wings can expand.

Mehded Maryam Sinclair is a professional storyteller with twenty-five years of experience. Her career as a touring and teaching artist began with Vermont Council. She lived in Turkey for ten years, teaching language and storytelling, and now resides in Amman, Jordan. Mehded is the author of two picture books, Miraculous Happenings in the Year of the Elephant and A Trust of Treasures (both published by Kube Publishing, Ltd).