Evil Eye was the book we had to read for this weeks book club and because I’d changed clubs and had to read quickly I decided to listen to it on audio book. I should be at book club tonight, but I ended up having to miss it anyway because I’m not well.
Author
Etaf Rum
Narrator
Vaneh Assadourian, Gail Shalan
Whispersync for Voice
Ready
Audible.co.uk Release Date
05 September 2023
Publisher
HQ
Program Type
Audiobook
Version
Unabridged
Language
English
ASIN
B0CBL1LZ6X
The Blurb
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.
My Review of Evil Eye
In honesty I think the whole premise of this book was confusing. Was it about the life of Palestinian women? Was it about domestic abuse? Was it about family curses? Was it about mental health issues? Was it about mother/daughter relationships? Was it about childhood trauma, possibly PTSD? It was a little bit of everything.
The main character, Yara, obviously is suffering from some kind of mental illness but we never really discover whether she inherited it from her mother, or it was the trauma of growing up in an abusive family that was the cause. It seemed to be a little bit of both.
She also has difficulties with her job, her marriage, her own children and life in general. She seems to have it all but is still not happy.
While she is receiving counselling and discovering the reasons behind her erratic behaviour, she discovers that her husband is not all she thought he was and the relationship between them begins to break down.
Yara talks about life in Palestine but only in little diary extracts. She only touches on the life of the Palestinian refugees, but she wasn’t born there and only went to visit her grandmother, and the story is trying to focus mainly on the present. Although, it was her childhood which was haunting her.
The story is a journey of self discovery which is something we can all learn from.
I did enjoy this book despite it being a little all over the place. You do develop a strong relationship with the main character.
What are you reading right now?
This does sound like an interesting book. I’m going to add it to my TBR list.
*Evil Eye* by Etaf Rum is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of generational trauma, cultural identity, and the complexities of family dynamics. The novel delves into the lives of Palestinian-American women, highlighting their struggles with tradition, independence, and societal expectations. Rum’s writing is poignant and compelling, offering readers a deep, emotional connection to the characters. The book effectively balances personal conflict with broader cultural themes, making it a must-read for those interested in stories of resilience, identity, and the pursuit of self-liberation.
Sorry to hear you’ve been ill and missed your book club. I hope you feel a bit better now.
From the blurb, I thought this sounded interesting. But from your review, I think I will give it a miss, although I do like reading books from different cultures from time to time.
I don’t think it’s your kind of book Sarah, I do actually enjoy mental health books, and this is definitely the main premise of this book. I would have liked to have known more about the Palestinian culture though.