Does My Head Look Big In This?

Does My Head Look Big in This? is a young adult debut novel by Randa Abdel-Fattah, an Australian writer of Palestinian and Egyptian origin, published in Australia in 2005. It is a story set in 2002, telling of 16-year-old Melbourne-born Amal, who decides to start wearing a hijab (religious veil) as a representation of her Muslim faith, and the reactions and repercussions that stem from her decision. The novel, which covers topics of Islamophobia (fear or prejudice against Muslims), cultural and personal identity, and social awareness, has received the Australian Book Industry Award and the Australian Book of the Year Award in the category for older children.

Randa Abdel-Fattah is a writer, lawyer, and human rights activist, who lives in Sydney, Australia. She holds a PhD in Islamophobia, and has been active in helping people of all faiths and religions communicate better through their different perspectives.

The edition of the novel used for this study guide is by Scholastic Ltd. (Scholastic Children’s Books), published in e-book format in 2014.

Plot Summary

Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim is a 16-year-old Australian-Palestinian-Muslim, who now attends a wealthy private school after several years at Islamic College. She comes from a well-to-do, educated family (her father is a doctor and her mother a dentist), and she decides to show her religious faith by starting to wear a hijab (religious veil) full time. This causes a stir in her school, and although the principal, Ms. Walsh, allows her to wear it, Amal faces stares and comments from her schoolmates, especially the popular girls Tia Tamos, Claire Foster, and Rita Mason. However, Amal’s friends Simone and Eileen (who is Japanese, and understands cultural differences) support her, as well as Josh (whose Jewish background also makes him understanding) and Adam, on whom Amal has a secret crush.

Outside of school, Amal’s best friends are Leila and Yasmeen, from her former school, who are both Muslim but come from different backgrounds. Leila’s parents are strict and conservative (her mother wants her to leave school and marry), and Yasmeen’s mom is English and modern. Amal’s Uncle Joe (originally Ismail) and Aunt Mandy (Aysha), who have renounced their origins and are trying hard to assimilate to an Australian life, cannot understand Amal’s decision. As most other people, they initially believe that her parents are making her wear the veil.

As Amal negotiates her new reality, she grows closer to Adam, with whom she shares personal stories and feelings, until he tries to kiss her and gets angry after she explains to him that her religion forbids her to have a boyfriend. She also connects with their next-door neighbor, Mrs. Vaselli, who is Greek and speaks poor English, but after the initial sternness proves to be a good friend to Amal. 

Together with Josh and Adam, Amal is selected to represent the school at an interschool debating competition, which they win thanks to Amal’s impassioned speech. Simone and Josh become a couple even though Simone is insecure about her perceived weight problem. Amal confronts Adam and they both learn to understand and appreciate their differences, while remaining friends. Meanwhile Leila, under constant pressure from her mother, runs away from home and only returns after her mother promises to try to change her ways, allowing Leila to pursue her academic interests. As the school year ends, Amal begins to understand that she can leave the questions of how her environment reacts to her decisions, and focus on answering the bigger questions of her future career and life choices.