A Woman Is No Man

Fareeda has stopped arranging for suitors for Deya. Desperate for her granddaughter’s forgiveness, she gives her a stack of letters that Isra wrote (but never sent) to her own mother back in Palestine. She hopes that by giving Deya this small piece of her mother, she can atone for the years of secrets and lies. 

Silence dominates the house. No one speaks to each other, and no one calls. Isra feels isolated, and when Deya tries to connect with her, she pushes her away and then feels guilty about it.

Nadine is now pregnant with her third son. Unlike Isra, she engages fully with her children, and Isra resents her for it. Khaled approaches Isra in the kitchen and apologizes for his accusations the night she ran away. He believes Sarah’s disappearance is God’s punishment for his behavior. Isra asks him if he’d ever like to return to Palestine, but he is unsure. He remembers how difficult his life was growing up in a refugee camp. Despite his family’s abject poverty, however, he remembers the tight-knit community of the camp, where families would share

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