Synopsis from the Book
Palestine, 1990. Seventeen-year-old Isra prefers reading books to entertaining the suitors her father has chosen for her. Her desires are irrelevant, however - over the course of a week, the naive and dreamy girl finds herself betrothed, then married, and soon living in Brooklyn. There Isra struggles to adapt to the expectations of her oppressive mother-in-law, Fareeda, and her strange new husband, Adam: a pressure that intensifies as she begins to have children - four daughters instead of the sons Isra is expected to bear.
Brooklyn, 2008. At her grandmother's insistence, eighteen-year-old Deya must meet with potential husbands and prepare herself for marriage, though her only desire is to go to college. Her grandmother is firm on the matter, however: 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 that will force her to question everything she thought she knew about her family, the past, and her own future.
Thoughts Before Reading
I love books that are about different cultures! So when I saw this book on Book of the Month's options for February I had to jump on it! I can't wait to see how Isra's life goes, the culture shock of going to America, and just how her life turns out! We already know that Isra only has four daughters instead of the sons that are so important within her culture, which means there has to be a ton of tension through this family unit. But why is the grandmother picking out suitable suitors for Deya? What happens to Isra and Adam? Does Deya get to go to college? What does she find out about her family that is so unexpected? I can't wait to dive into this book and learn all about these characters and their story.
(2-20-19)
* Sidenote: I think this is one of the few Book of the Month books that I actually got to pick up within the actual month of getting it. I love this subscription and I can't tell you how happy I am to finally get it back. This is something that I'm saying, no one is telling me to say it for advertisement purposes. I'm just a customer of BOTM and I'm just raving about how much I appreciate their services.
After Thoughts
Well I know I didn't check in when I got to the middle of the book. I know I have been slacking lately but in all honesty it was mainly because of work. I suck at reading at the moment, and it really has nothing with not being able to get into the book. I LOVED this book. However, this book was so intense that I did need another book to read when I had to step away for a little while. This book follows two main perspectives: Deya, the daughter, and Isra, the mother, as you read you also get to see Fareeda's perspective. Even though this book was amazing to read it is something that you need warning on because there is rape scenes and domestic violence throughout this book. I love reading about other cultures and the way this book evolves it was so amazing! Deya and Isra are so much alike and you can really see their similarities throughout this book. I love how this book ended it because there was many twists and turns throughout this book and it was all really tied up by the time the book ends. I really don't want to go into too much details about this book because I don't want to spoil how this book went. I loved learning about the same situation throughout these different perspectives but again I can't go into too much detail because the book deserves to be read. It was definitely a 5 out of 5 stars for me.
