God and Country

Will Prentiss grew up in a broken home, and he thought he found a place where he belonged when as a teenager, he moved in with a Christian group. But he was subjected to abuse until he extricated himself from the group. Searching for meaning, seeking a faith that agreed with him, he visited a mosque, and decided to become a Muslim. He became enmeshed in the community, married a Muslim woman, and faced discrimination after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But when Muslim friends begin planning to go abroad to carry out jihad, he started working with the FBI. Although he felt compromised and conflicted, he took pride in knowing that he was serving his country-but that did not assuage the guilt he felt in betraying his Muslim community. Focused on themes such as morality, justice, and what it means to be an American, this account offers insights into a religion that is deeply misunderstood while sharing the true story of someone weighing how to be a patriot while also being a good Muslim.