A Woman Is No Man
Author : Etaf Rum
Nothing would have ever prepared me for that last chapter.
Shifting between the perspectives of three women across different time periods, this is a story of courage, defiance, trauma and hope. Set in a conservative community bound by the shackles of tradition, this book provides an insight into how generational cycles of abuse grow and evolve in the name of duty and honor.
But here’s the thing. Despite the very specific context and conservative culture the book constantly references, I’d like to think that one reason why this book felt very impactful to me was because many events in this story mirrored real incidents that happen to women regardless of the community they belong to. It also throws light on the intense pressure and responsibility faced by men and the consequences of dangerous expectations.
I was more engrossed in the suspenseful narrative of the book as told by Deya’s chapters which is probably why I was easily able to overlook some of the repetitive themes expressed in the rest of the book.
The last chapter could be understood in many ways and I can’t write my interpretation of it without spoiling the book. But I’d like to think that the author decided to keep that last chapter as a cruel piece of truth just for their readers like a final puzzle piece for an incomplete story.
