A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

Book Review

“There is no such thing as happiness for people like us, family duty comes first”.
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⁣Taking place in Brooklyn, A Woman Is No Man alternates between two time periods (and three narrators) as it follows the lives of three generations of Palestinian women in America. In a culture where the women are expected to marry young and spend their lives cooking, cleaning and bearing children, Isra and her daughter Deya aspire to find real love, independence and the freedom to make their own choices. Despite living in the “land of the free” Isra and Deya feel trapped by their conservative Arab community that expects them to exist purely to serve their husbands and families.
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⁣This heartbreaking debut novel by Etaf Rum, who was raised by Palestinian immigrants, taught me a great deal about a culture I know little about. The thing that most struck me about this book was the complete lack of joy in the characters lives. As a privileged white American, it was difficult for me to relate to a life completely lacking in freedom and choice - which is all the more reason I’m glad I read this book.
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⁣Throughout the book, I wanted to yell at several of the characters “just run away!”, but I know it’s not that simple. This is why I find it so important to read books by diverse authors and books that shed light on cultures different than my own. I truly believe that the more we learn about people who are different from us, the greater empathy we can express towards our fellow humans. And greater empathy leads to a more just and equal society.
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⁣This is certainly not a light read as it deals with a number of heavy topics including domestic abuse, mental illness, and sexual violence; however, it’s a story that needed to be told, one that I’m so glad I read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars