The story of three generations of Palestinian immigrant women, A WOMAN IS NO MAN shows us the lives of Fareeda, Isra, and Deya as they face arranged marriages, bearing children, and finding their roles in a life with seemingly limited choices.

I read this book in two days. I had to know what happened, and immediately. So much of this book is about cycles repeating and tradition and the weight of history, and yet each woman was distinctly her own person even when others were trying to force them to fit their ideas of a traditional Arab woman.

So much blame is placed on women, both in this book and in real life, for the choices they did or did not make. How many times have you heard a domestic violence victim get asked “why didn’t you just leave him?” And here, each woman faces an array of reasons. Money. Reputation. Children. Education. Language. They are doing the best they can with the options they see, and each took a different path. I think this book does a wonderful job with showing the specific ways each each of them felt locked into their life and does not make any one woman out to be the villain of the story.

Another running theme is the idea that books and knowledge can save you. Or, at the very least, bring more options to the table. I know so many of us can identify with feeling like books are not just an escape, but a way to feel like yourself.