Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

Yara is a Palestinian American. She is an educated professor who teaches art as well as caring for her two young daughters, husband and the mountain of housework. Her life is not perfect but much better than her mother and grandmother's life was. Yara is swimming in guilt because she wants more out of life than a few classes, raising her children alone and a few words shared with her husband over the tv at night. She is on a mental tightrope that is about to snap and throw her off and then she loses her job and her family and husband are blaming her for their dissatisfaction and it isn't getting any better. A friend and a therapist slowly help her to see the life she wants and deserves is within reach. Childhood trauma, cultural divides , demands from family and the guilt over not being able to do it all are central themes here. Once again we have a personal, deep story of a woman being pulled in several directions trying to honor the traditional roles while forging ahead searching for a bit of independence and self worth. Yara's journey into her past to understand where she is going is a universal story that will resonate with many readers as well as her fans from her first book, A WOMAN IS NO MAN.  
​4 stars