Reviews tagging 'Grief'

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

38 reviews

discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

3.25

This book follows three generations of Palestinian women now living in Brooklyn, and the interconnectedness of their shared struggles within a patriarchal society. 

It’s a story about a teenager chasing after the hazy and confusing memories of her deceased parents, about her mother’s loneliness after following the stranger she married across the world, and about her grandmother’s role in perpetuating the abuse that was done to her. 

It’s a tough read, and my heart went out to these characters. The book does a good job of highlighting the struggles of refugee families living in the US, and of the dynamics of immigrant communities struggling with wanting to both succeed in a new country, and not lose their cultural identities. It also paints a really vivid picture of generational trauma and its far-reaching impact.

I listened to this in audiobook format, and I have to say the narrators did a really good job. The character voices, the use of multiple narrators, it all worked really well to make the story come to life.

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shelvesofivy's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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marissamartin's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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arszania's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was a rough one, and I was surprised that it was on Jenna Bush Hager's reading list, but I'm probably judging her unfairly based on her father. I thought the book unfolded very well, and I will definitely read this author again. Lots of digging fingernails into legs, though. Maybe that was on purpose to connect the generations of women?

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augie_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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annie26's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This is a heartbreaking tale of womanhood in the Palestine community both abroad and in the US. I felt sooo much compassion for Isra and her daughter Deya. I wanted so badly for them both to win, to beat their circumstances. This is a hard story to read in a lot of ways but the mystery behind Isra’s untimely death keeps you turning the pages. Along with your desire to see Deya do the things her mother could not. It’s a story about courage, about women’s courage in particular and about how we have a choice on what we do with our pain. Our past trauma explains our bad behaviour or destructive patterns but it does not excuse it. It’s a story about how women are set up to fail in a lot of ways and how that can lead to disasterous consequences. It’s an incredibly powerful story and one that I’m very grateful to have (finally!) read. 

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saskiahill's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Moving, both hopeful and sad. Lots of harrowing content, so check the content warnings before deciding if you're happy to proceed, but nonetheless a great book which reflects the emotions, experiences and nuances of 3 generations of Palestinian women and the struggle of culture clashes and raising your daughter's differently when you know no other way.

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maddie79's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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nonfictionfeminist's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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