THE BASICS
- Title: A Woman Is No Man
- Author: Etaf Rum
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Structure: Alternating third-person perspective
- First Line: “I was born without a voice, one cold, overcast day in Brooklyn, New York.”
Synopsis:
Introducing a brave, new Arab-American voice, an unflinching debut novel that takes us inside a world where few of us have been before: 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 fragile community.
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. Fans of The Kite Runner and Everything I Never Told You will be drawn to this powerful novel.
Should "A Woman Is No Man" by Etaf Rum be your next read? Find out in this detailed review! (No spoilers, pinky promise.) Click To TweetTHE GOOD
When I first saw this book as a book box option through Book of the Month, I immediately added it to my box. This is one of the best books I’ve read in awhile and it’s easily become one of my favorites. While the focus is Palestine culture, this narrative can be applied to the whole of womankind. I’m going to go into detail as to why, but know that reading this book is one of the best decisions you can make.
First, I think the writing is incredibly impressive for a first time writer. Etaf Rum has important things to say. If I had to akin her to another familiar voice, it would be Rupi Kaur. Different formats, mediums, and talents, obviously, but same wavelength of gripping intrigue and world-changing truths. I think we can expect great things from Etaf Rum in the future.
This book makes astute and painfully true observations of the world we live in. It begs the question: How much better off as women are we today than we were 50 years or even 25 years ago? While there’s no doubt things have improved, the issue as a whole has not. It opens up to a wider conversation of what we, as women, would like change to look like, how we can facilitate that, and how much comes down to our parenting.
I love the characters in this story. The entire book is told by women, all different generations facing the same overarching problem, which is powerful. The characters have intense depth. It’s easy to become attached to each of them as they’re truly relatable. This is one of those books that makes you wonder what the characters are up to after the last page is turned.
The book will move your soul. It makes you want to take your power back as a woman. It makes you want to stand tall and be proud. At least, it does for me. This book is everything womanhood is in a mere 350 pages.
I want to end this part by recommending this book for anyone leading a discussion-based book forum. This is the perfect book for summer high school and college lists. It’s not “young adult”, but it’s a type of book you want young people especially to read. This is also an excellent choice for a book club as there are so many discussion points.
THE UNFAVORABLE BITS
I don’t have a lot to add to this section. As I mentioned above, I’m truly astounded that this is Rum’s first novel. It reads like a seasoned author, contextually and textually.
My only note is that the characters exiting at random. There’s no set finish to scenes. It’s so subtle that the everyday reader probably wouldn’t notice. It’s as though there’s an assumption that a certain character left because they’re no longer included in the conversation, but it’s never outright said. It seemed as though there wasn’t a strategy for ending scenes. It’s probably something that was overlooked in the editing process since the story and book flows so well as a whole. I wanted to point out that minor detail because it is important that readers get a conclusion to each scene because it can be a distracting hang up otherwise, which is a shame for this level of writing.
CONCLUSION
I rate this book an easy 5/5 stars. If you’re looking for 2019’s Book of the Year, this is it. This is a must-read for everyone of every gender, age, and background. There is so much to be said by this book. If you’re looking for a profound, thought-provoking, tide-changing book, you’ve found it.
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I received A Woman Is No Man from the Book of the Month Club. It was so great to receive personalized book recommendations at my doorstep! Honestly, I’m not sure if I would’ve picked up and experienced A Woman Is No Man if it wasn’t for BOTM. You can join the club here for under $15 a month!
