Ratings15
Average rating4.2
The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of A Woman Is No Man returns with a striking exploration of the expectations of Palestinian-American women, the meaning of a fulfilling life, and the ways our unresolved pasts affect our presents. Raised in a conservative and emotionally volatile Palestinian family in Brooklyn, Yara thought she would finally feel free when she married a charming entrepreneur who took her to the suburbs. She's gotten to follow her dreams, completing an undergraduate degree in Art and landing a good job at the local college. As a traditional wife, she also raises their two school-aged daughters, takes care of the house, and has dinner ready when her husband gets home. With her family balanced with her professional ambitions, Yara knows that her life is infinitely more rewarding than her own mother's. So why doesn't it feel like enough? After her dream of chaperoning a student trip to Europe evaporates and she responds to a colleague's racist provocation, Yara is put on probation at work and must attend mandatory counseling to keep her position. Her mother blames a family curse for the trouble she's facing, and while Yara doesn't really believe in old superstitions, she still finds herself growing increasingly uneasy with her mother's warning and the possibility of falling victim to the same mistakes. Shaken to the core by these indictments of her life, Yara finds her carefully constructed world beginning to implode. To save herself, Yara must reckon with the reality that the difficulties of the childhood she thought she left behind have very real--and damaging--implications not just on her own future but that of her daughters.
Reviews with the most likes.
Like the first book, this was very much a page-turner. Had a lot of the same themes as the first one as well. I found the main character frustrating at times but understand that its part of her personality due to her background. I think the end was consolidated and just wrapped up way too quickly. The therapy sessions at the end made a lot of progress VERY quickly which was weird considering how slow paced the first 2/3 of the book was and I wish we would've gotten more detail on her character growth. Overall though this is an author I will automatically read.
Excellent but a tough read - steeped in generational trauma. My only quibble is it felt a bit long in the last 1/3. Mother/daughter relationships take center stage, and are richly and painfully drawn.