A Woman Is No Man by Etaf RumMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Etaf is the real deal. Born Palestinian and raised in a refugee camp as a child, she knows what her people are going through because she lived it. At age 19 she was married and at age 31after having having two children she went back for a writing degree.
Her debut novel is about Palestinian women living in the Bayridge area of New York. Starting with Ezra in a Palestinian village that is surrounded by two cemeteries, one Christian and the other Muslim. Ezra leads a typical life. Wearing a hijab and being religious she spend most of her time with her mother cleaning the house and preparing the food. Her father is rather abusive towards her mother and her. Often using physical violence to control them. She is also under pressure to get married and have children .
After several suitors she finally meets Adam from America . He marries her and takes her to the states. Ezra is expecting a better life but that is. Not what ensues. Seemingly trapped within her in-laws house her days are spent preparing food and cleaning the house. She lives with her husband in the basement of their dwelling. Adam is working a lot and comes home real late. There is not much of a relationship. Like her father back home he is forceful and. Physically abusive.
Her in laws were from Palestinian refuge camps. They had a hard life as well. Ezra ends up having 4 daughters. The eldest has ambitions to get into college. After her mother dies there is pressure on her to get married as well.
Through out this novel there are several themes that get touched upon. One is that Palestinian culture is hard on women. The husbands in this book are physically abusive. They are also addicted to alcohol at one point in their life. The women are expected to marry young and have children. Parents don’t want them going to college rather they want them to learn how to cook and clean. There’s is a heavy emphasis on honor.
As the story progresses people learn ugly truths about. Themselves and their families. In the end it is a story about personal liberation and standing up for yourself.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment