Title: A Woman Is No Man: A Novel: Author: Etaf Rum: Publisher: HarperCollins, 2019: ISBN: 0062699784, 9780062699787: Length: 368 pages: Subjects: Fiction › Family Life › General. But fate has a will of its own, and soon Deya will find herself on an unexpected path that leads her to shocking truths about her family—knowledge that will force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, the past, and her own future. Was it the mother of one of the patients, who claimed to be sick that day but was smoking down by the creek? The ensuing trial uncovers unimaginable secrets from that night―trysts in the woods, mysterious notes, child-abuse charges―as well as tense rivalries and alliances among a group of people driven to extraordinary degrees of desperation and sacrifice. A Woman is No Man is quite the thought-provoking read. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. In 1990, Isra is married off by her family in Palestine at 16 to a man from America, and in … A Woman Is No Man book. But her mother warns her: “There is nothing out there for a woman but her bayt wa dar, her house and home. What secrets and betrayals have caused this close-knit family to fracture?

“A Woman Is No Man” complicates and deepens the Arab American story — a tale as rich and varied as America itself. Like these bright rays, Rum adds her fresh voice to a burgeoning generation of Arab American women writers — Laila Lalami, Naomi Shihab Nye, Randa Jarrar, Mohja Kahf, Jennifer Joukhadar, among so many others — authors who take up the question of what it means to be an Arab woman in America now.

She weaved a multigenerational story filled with extremely complex characters. Why do you think Deya’s family places such a strong emphasis on her heritage over the place she grows up? And lastly, their estranged son, Amar, who returns to the family fold for the first time in three years to take his place as brother of the bride. This post contains links to products that I may receive compensation from at no additional cost to you. We then meet Deya in 2008 Brooklyn. Authors must create without constraints or societal pressures, especially someone writing from such a vulnerable perspective. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantú. Fareeda is overbearing and is so consumed with the fact that Isra and Adam need to have a boy. We hope you're enjoying "A Woman Is No Man" as much as we are. Today, many women are speaking out about abuse they have faced in and out of the workplace for the first time. In Brooklyn, eighteen-year-old Deya is starting to meet with suitors. A Woman Is No Man is her first novel. At one point, Isra says, “If a woman called the cops every time her husband beat her, all our men would be in jail.” Rum was herself in an arranged marriage, and this personal experience imbues her narrative voice with authority and authenticity. That is how we are told to treat women in the Qur’an.” Sadly, this is not the reality of these characters’ lives. Why is it important to ensure this distinction? View my Affiliate Disclosure page. Deya can’t help but wonder if her options would have been different had her parents survived the car crash that killed them when Deya was only eight. Though she doesn’t want to get married, her grandparents give her no choice. How many generations did it take your family to feel completely American? Fareeda and her son consider girls liabilities, drains on limited family resources and sources of worry, not pride. Our editors independently selected these items because we think you will enjoy them and might like them at these prices. Brooklyn, 2008.

Why do you think Fareeda was trying to keep the truth about Deya’s parents a secret?

How are the men in the novel also failed by societal expectations? Eighteen-year-old Deya, Isra’s oldest daughter, must meet with potential husbands at her grandmother Fareeda’s insistence, though her only desire is to go to college. Is the political environment outside the scope of artistic concerns? Have you ever witnessed a person use stress or suffering as an excuse for their behavior?

We first meet Isra as a seventeen-year-old girl in Palestine. Diana Abu-Jaber is the author of “Birds of Paradise” and “Origin.” Her most recent book is the culinary memoir “Life Without a Recipe.”. As an Indian wedding gathers a family back together, parents Rafiq and Layla must reckon with the choices their children have made. Yet, Isra is a lover of romantic stories and she holds out hope that despite an arranged marriage, she’ll still have love. London: HarperCollins Publishers, 2019.

Isra and Adam’s marriage is arranged, and within a matter of weeks, she’s whisked from her quiet home to the wilderness of New York City. While A Woman Is No Man ends on a hopeful note, overall it’s a pretty sad tale; Isra obviously suffers from worsening and untreated depression, and she is treated brutally by those around her. History is repeating itself: Deya’s mother, Isra, also had no choice when she left Palestine as a teenager to marry Adam.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Why do you think that academic and professional goals are seen as a negative quality in women in this story? Judy Lindow (spoiler) I was baffled by the ending. In what ways are Fareeda and Isra’s mother similar? The novel is broken into three parts, but for the purposes of this guide will be broken into eight sections.

One of the challenges that Rum tackles is speaking openly about the brutal treatment of these women. Book club questions for A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum discusses in-depth this story about three generations of Palestinian-American women. This month, Jenna Bush Hager picked the heartfelt novel "A Woman is No Man" by Etaf Rum. All rights reserved.

Like Fareeda in the novel, historically many women have stayed quiet about abuse they’ve suffered. Seventeen-year-old Isra prefers reading books to entertaining the suitors her father has chosen for her. Her family is trying to marry her off, as is tradition. Set in an America that may feel removed yet is all too close at hand, A Woman Is No Man is both a gripping page-turner and an intimate family portrait. How has education shaped your life and contributed to your success? Some of the most moving moments in the book take place when Isra looks at her young daughters and realizes with horror that they are destined to live out the same patterns of servitude and confinement that she has. Why is the idea of taking responsibility for your own destiny such a powerful one? In "A Woman is No Man," Deya is fighting for control over her life. Taking place in an insular immigrant community during both the 1990s and 2008, the heartfelt book brings culture, family, and the role of women into the spotlight. Let’s talk about this reveal.

Learn more about Shop TODAY. A Woman Is No Man | Book Review April 29, 2019 A few notes before I begin: I’m writing this in early April because I just finished the book yesterday, in one night, but I won’t publish until after the rest of my book club has finished later this month. And Fareeda tells her that she’s changed and she wants to see Sarah again.

The novel begins without a chapter, heading, or defined character - but a female voice explaining to the reader how, “I was born without a voice” (1). Ultimately Deya advocates for herself and breaks free from her family’s prescribed path.

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But when the Miracle Submarine mysteriously explodes, killing two people, a dramatic murder trial upends the Yoos’ small community. Fans of The Kite Runner and Everything I Never Told You will be drawn to this powerful novel. The narrative draws links between economic desperation and discord in the home, driving apart parents and children, men and women. Her days are spent under her mother-in-law’s thumb, cooking and cleaning for Adam, a man who seems to be disinterested at best and outright dangerous at worst. How did this add to the pressure of the family? Dutiful and soft-spoken, Isra has wisps of longing; she dreams of romance and adventure. The book also touches on the legacy of violence passed down from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories — the humiliation of living with armed soldiers and checkpoints, the misery of life in a refugee shelter — and its lingering echoes in America: This is a brave move. The cost of Etaf’s decision to write this novel was to be shunned by parts of her community. I thought Rum’s writing was stunning, detailed, and eloquent. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Still, it offers a nuanced picture of a woman’s life within a traditional Arab … Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. While A Woman Is No Man is a rallying cry to resist patriarchal strictures designed to keep women in ‘their place,’ it is also a love letter to books and their transformative power. Do you think she made the right choice running away from home? Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. In "A Woman is No Man," several characters reflect on the pressures put on men. "A Woman is No Man," by Etaf Rum, $18, Amazon, To stay involved all month long, be sure to follow us on Instagram (don't forget to tag your photos with the hashtag, #ReadWithJenna) and join our Read With Jenna Facebook group to continue the conversation about "A Woman Is No Man.".

How did it change the family forever? Bibliographic information. A Woman of No Importance is a play by Irish playwright Oscar Wilde.The play premièred on 19 April 1893 at London's Haymarket Theatre.Like Wilde's other society plays, it satirizes English upper-class society. They ought to be warned.”. Still, a potential concern for Arab authors writing for an American audience is how to portray Arab patriarchy within a Western milieu of Islamophobic and anti-Arab stereotypes. The book club questions for A Woman Is No Man will have spoilers so check out my spoiler-free review first. Why do you think she never help to intervene when she knew Adam was beating her? Your email address will not be published. I did find myself disheartened throughout the novel because of the treatment of the various Arab women. Her mother’s prophecy unfolds as Isra imagines a lifetime of domestic servitude stretching before her. The book club questions for A Woman Is No Man will have spoilers so check out my spoiler-free review first. With nearly twenty years between them a mother and daughter struggle to find a place for themselves within the confines of their strict Muslim community. When Isra gives birth to a daughter, she’s stunned by both her husband’s and mother-in-law’s disappointment.

Do you think Sarah will come back home? Still, it offers a nuanced picture of a woman’s life within a traditional Arab … A Woman is No Man is written by Etaf Rum.