The Bride of Amman

The book arrived quickly and in good condition

One of the best books about the sociological backdrop of the different ethnic, religious and sexual identities in the Arab world. A truly great understanding of intersectionality and a great outlook on the common threads. All of the character drew me in and i loved that it was all in short stories.

Good work!

I really enjoyed this novel about a handful of young women in Amman, Jordan, all of whom faced pressure to marry before it's too late. What surprised me wasn't what each of these women experienced, but rather how much their culture reminded me of Chinese culture. The women were pressured to marry before a certain age before they were no longer in the desired age range to find husbands, a la China's leftover women. One character, Salma, faced so much pressure, especially when her younger sister got engaged before she did, that she took extreme measures. Each of the main female characters encountered difficult issues: unwed pregnancy, affairs with married men, marriage to gay men, and sexual abuse. My favorite story line is that between Lelia and Ali. Leila just wanted to get married and when Ali paid her special attention, she didn't question why he hadn't been physically close to her before their wedding. She just figured he was a good Muslim man who respected her as a woman. Even when her best friend warned her that Ali had had a longterm relationship with a male colleague, Leila didn't want to hear it. She eventually learned the truth and made up her mind to stay with him. Some of the characters turned out to have a happy ending, while others were maybe happy on the outside yet lacked a real connection on the inside. The Bride of Amman is a quick and rich read.

The Book of Amman was one of the best books that I have read in a long time. The detail and depth of the book was outstanding to where I could not put down the book for any given moment. I highly recommend this book; however, due to the details in the book would only recommend it as adult reading.

This is a great read. There aren't many books covering this subject area and it is well written and well translated

Loved this book. Has deep complex characters that I will miss. A good insight into Jordanian culture.

Beautifully written (and translated)! The book gives a glimpse of the life of 5 young people living in Jordan, struggling between social norms and their own desires.Far from western cliches, Fadi Zaghmout tells the story of men and women in Amman, who all suffer from the lack of freedom and their very own ways of dealing with it, finding their ways.A must read!

Fascinating insights into the life and struggles of young adults in the Jordanian society. Highly recommend!