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A Woman Is No Man
- Narrated by: Ariana Delawari, Dahlia Salem
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
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A Woman Is No Man
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Summary
A New York Times best seller.
Three generations of Palestinian-American women living in Brooklyn are torn between individual desire and the strict mores of Arab culture in this heart-wrenching story of love, intrigue and courage.
Where I come from, we’ve learned to silence ourselves. We’ve been taught that silence will save us. Where I come from, we keep these stories to ourselves. To tell them to the outside world is unheard of – dangerous, the ultimate shame.
Palestine, 1990. Seventeen-year-old Isra prefers reading books to entertaining the suitors her father has chosen for her. Over the course of a week, the naïve and dreamy girl finds herself quickly betrothed and married and is soon living in Brooklyn. There Isra struggles to adapt to the expectations of her oppressive mother-in-law, Fareeda, and strange new husband, Adam, a pressure that intensifies as she begins to have children - four daughters instead of the sons Fareeda tells Isra she must bear.
Brooklyn, 2008. Eighteen-year-old Deya, Isra’s oldest daughter, must meet with potential husbands at her grandmother Fareeda’s insistence, though her only desire is to go to college. Deya can’t help but wonder if her options would have been different had her parents survived the car crash that killed them when Deya was only eight. But her grandmother is firm on the matter: the only way to secure a worthy future for Deya is through marriage to the right man.
But fate has a will of its own, and soon Deya will find herself on an unexpected path that leads her to shocking truths about her family - knowledge that will force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, the past and her own future.
Set in an America at once foreign to many and staggeringly close at hand, A Woman Is No Man is a story of culture and honour, secrets and betrayals, love and violence. It is an intimate glimpse into a controlling and closed cultural world and a universal tale about family and the ways silence and shame can destroy those we have sworn to protect.
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Critic reviews
"A celebration of 'the strength and power of our women'." (Booklist)
"Sometimes heroism is loud and dramatic. Other times, it is daring to listen to that quiet voice within and having the courage to follow it... Etaf Rum has done a great service by sharing these voices with us." (Shilpi Somaya Gowda, New York Times best-selling author)
"A work of literary bravery." (Nadia Hashimi)
What listeners say about A Woman Is No Man
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- Rebecca
- 22-02-23
I need to know more
A beautiful book and a sad but inspiring story. I hope there will be more to come
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- Spud
- 09-10-21
Good from start to finish
Kept me engaged throughout.
Enjoyed split of story timelines.
A good ending which I didn't expect
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- Bookishbint
- 04-09-24
It really hit home.
A beautiful yet deep, thoughtful read for anyone with a mother wound and change is near and possible if you are able to strive for it .
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- Anonymous User
- 03-03-20
Amazing
I've never fully read a book because i struggle to picture it but captured really well.
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- brenda
- 08-09-21
Heartbreaking portrayal of many women’s lives.
The story and characters are true of many women whether Muslim or not and the domestic violence that is acceptable in many societies and even by women themselves. It gave me a whole different perspective on what it must be like for many women who live with limited freedom and little opportunity to integrate into new countries they are living in. The story gave hope of girls being able to stand up for themselves and gain an education while still retaining close ties with family and hopefully change the perception of themselves and value of women in society. It wasn’t an easy book to listen to but one I would definitely recommend as insightful. All were victims in own ways and nothing is totally black and white.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Madeleine Woodman
- 30-01-21
starts slow, but gets gripping
Great narrator. The story gets going after an hour. A few twists and turns. Recommended.
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- Kindle Customer Barbara Cartwright
- 16-05-22
Brilliant
A brilliant novel, which gives a great insight into the Palestinian culture. Well written & narrated
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- Amazon Customer
- 21-10-20
I loved this book.
I could not put this book down which for me who does not read a huge amount is unheard of. I felt totally involved in this book and it opened my eyes to another world. I would definitely recommend A Woman is no Man.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Betty Cool
- 12-04-22
Eye opening
It has been said that this book gives a voice to the voiceless and I believe that to be true. A confronting, heartbreaking, worthy and must read title.
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- Clara
- 13-03-24
Gripping powerful family story
Great read giving insights into migrant life in NYC, and the powers needed to challenge tradition. Well written and hard to put it down!
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