Etaf Rum

Deya had questions of her own. What would you do to me if we married? Would you let me pursue my dreams? Would you leave me at home to raise the children while you worked? Would you love me? Would you own me? Would you beat me? She could have asked those questions aloud, but she knew people only told you what you wanted to hear.

You need to put the past behind you in order to move on. Believe me, this I know.

A man is the only way up in this world, even though he’ll climb a woman’s back to get there.

But Khaled seems like he loves you so much,” Isra said.
“Loves me?” Fareeda laughed. “Look at all I do for that man! I spread a full sufra for him every day, wash and iron his clothes, scrub every inch of this house so he can be at ease. I raised his children, these men and this girl, all while he was away. And you say he loves me?” Her eyes shifted to Isra. “Learn this now, dear. If you live your life waiting for a man’s love, you’ll be disappointed.

he wished she knew how to speak her mind, wished she could’ve said those things to Mama: that girls were just as valuable as boys, that their culture was unfair, and that Mama, as a woman, should’ve understood that.

Daughters are a means to salvation and a path to Paradise.

Fear has a way of putting things in perspective.

ince Amal was born. She had thought that the meaning of her daughter’s name, hope, might grow a seed of hope in her heart, but it had not.

She told me to learn. She said this was the only way to make my own naseeb.

It had been her idea, after all, to teach Sarah some compliance, but more than once Fareeda had found them huddled at the kitchen table, whispering to each other, sometimes even reading together—reading, of all things!