A Woman is No Man
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.
This was my book club of the month's book, and I'm glad it was! I don't think I would have picked this book up if it were not for my book club, so thank you book club! This is an incredible book about the lives of Islamic women in pretty modern times. The POV goes between the 1990s and the 2000s and three generations of women. I really enjoyed this book because it gave me a perspective that I have never had before. I actually listened to the audiobook of this via Overdrive, and I really enjoyed the narration.
Deya is the daughter of Isra, and Fereeda is the mother in law of Isra. Isra was a Palestinian girl that was married in 1990 at the age of 17. She married Adam, and after her marriage she moved with Adam into their home in Brooklyn, along with his mom, dad, two brothers and sister. The occupy the basement of their Brooklyn home. Isra is shy, a bit naïve, and submissive to her new family. She only wants to please, and in doing so she ends up with four baby girls within 7 years. Isra just wants romance and happiness at the beginning of the book, but during her short lifespan she only experiences heartache and disappointment with her new life. She quickly learns that a woman is no man, and that a woman's place is to cook, clean and provide offspring. Unfortunately, Isra only provides baby girls, which only adds to her heartache. Deya is the eldest daughter of Isra and Adam and in 2008 she is trying to find her place in the world as a woman. Generations have continuously felt that women belong at home. But, Deya wants to go to college and be more than just a wife.
I really enjoyed the new cultural perspective presented in this book. I felt like I had an idea of what it was like to be a woman in their culture, but I honestly had no clue it can be so hard for them. They want to preserve their culture, but at the same time they want more for themselves. It must be a really tough decision for these women and their families.
Overall, I loved this book. My heart broke at the ending though. There were a few inconsistencies in dates and ages, but overall it was a great book and I am really thankful that I was able to experience this book.
The daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Etaf Rum was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She has a Masters of Arts in American and British Literature as well as undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and English Composition and teaches undergraduate courses in North Carolina, where she lives with her two children. Etaf also runs the Instagram account @booksandbeans and is also a Book of the Month Club Ambassador, showcasing
her favorite selections each month. A Woman Is No Man is her first novel.
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