⚠️ content warning: domestic violence 

This novel follows three generations of Palestinian women in a conservative Arab family living in Brooklyn. Fareedah came to the United States with her husband and children as a refugee, and pushes her family to maintain their culture at whatever cost. Isra marries Fareedah’s oldest son Adam, coming to New York from Palestine when she is only seventeen years old, with hopes for love and more freedom in America. Deya is Isra’s oldest daughter, mourning the loss of her parents and living with her grandmother Fareedah, and not wanting to get married and follow the customs and traditions expected of her. The novel alternates between the voices of these three women, and as the story progresses Deya learns more of her family’s troubled past and the dark secrets behind what really happened to her parents.

This has been on my TBR for a while and I’m so glad I finally got to it! I read it in a day and found it quite gripping and wanted to know what would happen next. Deya’s narrative was my favorite and I found myself always looking forward to her parts. An other thing I loved what how Isra, Sarah, and Deya all loved reading and how it helped them challenge the norm and gave them an escape from their situation and the courage to want more. The book tackles some heavy subjects so definitely check triggers warnings if you’re interested! This is such an important story and I loved how Rum was able to give these women a voice. Sometimes the novel got a little repetitive and lacked some nuance; the message seemed to be that all women are oppressed and all men are abusive oppressors. While that definitely is the experience of many woman, I think it would have been more powerful to also see healthy relationships and families. Overall this was a super important feminist story that I recommend!