About
Jennifer writes women’s fiction and creative non-fiction. She grew up in Iowa and, after graduating from Smith College and the Georgetown University Law Center, practiced corporate and immigration law. She is the author of the debut novel PAINTED HANDS (St. Martin's Press) and the co-editor of FAITHFULLY FEMINIST (White Cloud Press). Her writing has been published in The Huffington Post, The Rumpus, The Feminist Wire, The Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, and elsewhere. She has spoken about religion and gender at a variety of academic and cultural institutions, including Columbia University, Brown University, Xavier University, the Boston Public Library, and the Jewish Community Center in New York City. Additionally, she has been featured on both radio and television, including Boston’s WCVB-TV.
Jennifer lives in the Chicago area where she is currently at work on a memoir about converting to Islam for marriage as a twenty-something feminist and lawyer, and the unconventional, unexpected, and ultimately-effective things she did to reclaim her life after her divorce.
Books
PAINTED HANDS
"An enlightening first novel, Jennifer Zobair's PAINTED HANDS dismantles the myths and stereotypes about what it means to be Muslim in American society today.”
- Anne Cherian, author of THE INVITATION and A GOOD INDIAN WIFE
Zainab Mir and her best friend Amra Abbas have thwarted proposal-slinging aunties and traditional Muslim cultural expectations to succeed in their high-powered careers. What they didn't count on? The unlikely men who test their friendship, including a childhood friend who turns out to be more conservative than he let on, and a right-wing politico with career-threatening secrets of his own. When the personal and the geopolitical collide, and a controversial prayer service ends in violence, Zainab and Amra must figure out what they're willing to risk for their principles, their friendship, and love.
Faithfully Feminist
"What a brave and powerful examination of observance and empowerment.”
— Mayim Bialik, Emmy-nominated actor, "The Big Bang Theory"
“Why do you stay?" It's a common question for women of faith who identify as feminists. In FAITHFULLY FEMINIST, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim women share their struggles to remain in their religious traditions, encourage other women through their triumphs, and illustrate that being feminist doesn’t have to mean giving up on your faith.
