Scan barcode
A review by bookishevy
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Palestine, 1990. Seventeen-year-old naive bookworm Isra, who is married her off in Palestine to the much older Adam and taken to Brooklyn, where they live with her oppressive mother-in-law, Fareeda, who grows increasingly frustrated when Isra keeps birthing daughters instead of the sons they desire.
Brooklyn, 2008. Eighteen-year-old Deya, whose dreams of going to college are ignored while her grandmother sets up potential suitors for her, because she thinks the only way Deya can have a future is through marriage. Someone from Deya's past intervenes and Deya learns a shocking truth about her family that could strengthen her will to make her own choices about her future.
There are so many layers to this story that is told through the eyes of three generations of Palestinian women having to grapple with rules made by the men within their culture as they struggle to find their voices amidst the fear of bringing shame to their family. The flashbacks to Fareeda and her family getting kicked out of their homes by Isreali forces and having to live in camps for years before migrating to the U.S. Struggling with the cultural differences while trying to maintain their Muslim/Arab identity.
There were times I felt suffocated while reading Isra's dilemma. She's caught between wanting better for her daughters and a hopelessness around them ending up like her. I felt immense hate for Fareeda, while acknowledging that she's a product of this culture, raised to believe that girls/women should know their place or suffer the consequences. TW: domestic violence.
This is a heartbreaking read with a hopeful ending.
Brooklyn, 2008. Eighteen-year-old Deya, whose dreams of going to college are ignored while her grandmother sets up potential suitors for her, because she thinks the only way Deya can have a future is through marriage. Someone from Deya's past intervenes and Deya learns a shocking truth about her family that could strengthen her will to make her own choices about her future.
There are so many layers to this story that is told through the eyes of three generations of Palestinian women having to grapple with rules made by the men within their culture as they struggle to find their voices amidst the fear of bringing shame to their family. The flashbacks to Fareeda and her family getting kicked out of their homes by Isreali forces and having to live in camps for years before migrating to the U.S. Struggling with the cultural differences while trying to maintain their Muslim/Arab identity.
There were times I felt suffocated while reading Isra's dilemma. She's caught between wanting better for her daughters and a hopelessness around them ending up like her. I felt immense hate for Fareeda, while acknowledging that she's a product of this culture, raised to believe that girls/women should know their place or suffer the consequences. TW: domestic violence.
This is a heartbreaking read with a hopeful ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Self harm