A Woman is No Man is a book I’ve had on my shelf for a while. This emotional story about family, motherhood, and choice made me tear up. Towards the end, I found it so emotional it was hard to pick back up. Keep reading this book review of A Woman is No Man for my full thoughts.
Summary
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 community.
Review
I was able to listen to A Woman is No Man, while also reading my own copy. I loved being able to listen to three different narrators for Deya, Isra, and Fareedah. Ariana Delawari, Dahlia Salem & Susan Nezami did a phenomenal job at infusing each of these characters with their own voice in this incredibly emotional story. A Woman is No Man is about our individual choices, passing on our trauma and broken dreams, and what relationship we chose to have. It’s a difficult read at some points because of how emotional it is. Learning about each of their stories as the timeline progresses, the mystery of Isra’s past unfolds, had my heart in my throat.
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While the mystery of what happened to Isra is definitely a driving force in the story, it’s also about these women’s hopes for their lives. About the ways they were treated by their own mothers, how they are as mothers and daughters, and how their trauma and past impact them. Do we let our experiences bleed into how we are with our own family when have the chance to do something different? What can be the pace of change for these women? If you’re looking for a gut wrenching read, A Woman is No Man is for you.
It’s character driven and focuses on the choices we can make. The voice within ourselves we can find and inspire in others. Find A Woman is No Man on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.