Publication Date: March 2019
Blurb:
This debut novel by a Palestinian-American voice takes us inside the lives of a conservative Arab family living in America. 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.
What To Expect:
This is a contemporary fiction taking place mostly in 2 timelines, one starting in 1990 and the other in 2008. It’s about a Palestinian family that grapples with how to keep their culture and values strong at all costs while living in a modern world.
Content Warnings:
Language: Most language was kept in the native tongue. A derogatory name for women was used often throughout the book, it just wasn’t in English.
Sexual Content: Marital rape repeatedly took place and was described in some detail the first time (wedding night).
Violence: Moderate – Domestic abuse, sexual assault
Substance Use: Smoking, hookah, alcohol abuse
Prejudices: Heavy sexism against women
Religious Themes: The family is Islamic so praying to Allah is talked about and the Korah is mentioned a few times.
Other Topics: Teenage runaway
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