A Woman Is No Man
Ratings66
Average rating4
This debut novel by an Arab-American voice,takes us inside the lives of conservative Arab women living in America.
In Brooklyn, eighteen-year-old Deya is starting to meet with suitors. Though she doesn’t want to get married, her grandparents give her no choice. History is repeating itself: Deya’s mother, Isra, also had no choice when she left Palestine as a teenager to marry Adam. Though Deya was raised to believe her parents died in a car accident, a secret note from a mysterious, yet familiar-looking woman makes Deya question everything she was told about her past. As the narrative alternates between the lives of Deya and Isra, she begins to understand the dark, complex secrets behind her community.
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Broke my heart. Very important book to read. I am a bit lost for words to even describe the magnitude of various emotions and thoughts it gave me. Side note - so grateful for all the dishes mentioned. Can't wait to learn to cook more of Palestinian dishes
I would give this 3.5 stars. It was entertaining enough (albeit in a very sad way — and potentially triggering for anyone who has encountered abuse) but the real interest was in learning about the cultural struggles of Palestinian women/women from ultra conservative Islamic cultures. I thought the dialog felt contrived and the plot was predicatable; but would still recommend for the human interest component.
