‘[A] masterfully written story . . . An absorbing tale of a woman who wants more for her daughters and for herself, it’s a five-star read’ Woman’s Weekly


‘A powerful novel about motherhood, belonging and culture’ Prima


‘A complicated mother-daughter drama that looks at the lasting effects of intergenerational trauma and what it takes to break the cycle of abuse’ Time magazine, ‘The Most Anticipated Books of the Year’


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The powerful and poignant novel from the author of the much-loved A Woman is No Man.



Raised in a conservative Palestinian family in Brooklyn, Yara thought she would finally feel free when she married a charming entrepreneur. Now, she has a good job at the local college, and balances that with raising her two daughters and taking care of their home. Yara knows that her life is more rewarding than her mother’s – so why doesn’t it feel like enough?


After Yara responds to a colleague’s racist provocation, she is put on probation at work and must attend mandatory counselling. Her mother blames a family curse for Yara’s troubles, and while Yara doesn’t believe in superstitions, she still finds herself growing increasingly uneasy about falling victim to the same mistakes as her mother.


Yara’s carefully constructed world begins to implode and suddenly she must face up to the difficulties of her childhood, not fully realising how that will impact not just her own future, but that of her daughters too.


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Praise for Etaf Rum:



‘Wise, expansive, and deeply compassionate … This fierce story explores the notion of women’s freedom and of what becomes of identity when gender roles, family and cultural traditions are challenged and rewritten‘ Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Birds of Paradise


‘A moving meditation on motherhood … stunning’ Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics


‘A moving look at the complexities of identity, marriage and redemption’ Melissa Rivero, author of The Affairs of the Falcóns


‘A love letter to storytelling’ New York Times


‘Garnering justified comparisons to Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns … a must-read about women mustering up the bravery to follow their inner voice’ Refinery 29