A review by beebeewin
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I deeply enjoyed this novel and the multi-generational perspective that it provided. With unflinching honestly Etaf Rum tells a story of the struggles of Palestinian women in America. Rum doesn't sugar coat nor make a version of trauma porn, but instead shows how generational trauma, sexism, war, and poverty can create lives that are extremely painful and dark yet full of strength, resilience, and hope. I grew to love and care for all the characters as Rum fleshed them all out beautifully. As the story went along you could see how all the women share many similarities and histories, but are their on people with diverse perspectives. I cannot voice enough additional how even with this deep character work, I still felt gripped by the plot and the story. You could feel the mystery lurking from the beginning and the story built to big reveal gloriously. It is sad that this probably mirrors many women's true life, but as someone who does not have this lived experience it was eye-opening and a reminder of how much I should value my freedom. I would recommend this book to anyone, but be prepared for at once a heartbreaking but incredibly hopeful novel. 
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