The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes

No matter how many books, documentaries, protests, podcasts, and other forms of media can change people's minds. People are getting tired of having stories of the oppresed crammed down their throats.When I think of the Middle East, I remember books I read about drownings, hangings, and cruelty to women. I can't get these stories out of my mind and probably never will. I am white and I am also a minority. Every group of people have dirty secrets and things they are ashamed of. People cannot cram their sorrows down other people's throats.

I enjoyed every second of reading it! it makes you see life in other people's eyes and how eventually you as a person define your own life and make a meaning behind it no matter what religion you follow and where are are from.

As a middle eastern woman living in the US, this book is everything I needed to hear. Thank you Alya Mooro for this incredible insight!

I wish I had read this as a teenager. I read the whole book in two sittings because it was SO relatable I just couldn't put it down. Thank you, Alya, for writing this incredible book!

I highly recommend this book it's wonderfully written

As a first generation Palestinian woman who grew up in California, every chapter and every word written resonated with me. It felt like Alya was writing about my own thoughts and life experiences, growing up struggling to determine which culture I should identify with. This book was written so eloquently and from such an educated and knowledgeable standpoint. The book takes you to another world where you look through Alya’s eyes as she lives her life growing up between Cairo and the London, and then also provides the global viewpoint with significant research on other countries’ norms. Simultaneously, it brought me full circle as I ponder on my own life and helped me determine how confidently and proudly I should identify with my culture. I recommend this book to people of all walks of life, not only Middle Eastern people, as it is an eye opening glimpse into life as a middle eastern woman.

Alya bravely gives a voice to multicultural individuals while living out her words. The book is an engaging narrative and insightful view on the female perspective as an middle easterner living abroad. It asks a lot of important questions from a generation of people that are more "connected" than ever, all while feeling distant from their predetermined "roots". Her journey of realizing that you are not obliged to restrict yourself to your geography, its culture or the society, is liberating to people who could not find the words but experience these pressures everyday. It's also a refreshing reminder to live your life on your terms.

Another self-glorifying monograph. Not worth a read.

I had never heard of the author before and only chanced upon this book through Amazon's 'First Reads' promotion. Turned out to be a thoroughly engaging read which genuinely broadened my understanding of what life is like for Middle Eastern women. As an East Asian immigrant living in London, I can relate to so many of the things the author talks about in this book. Only took one star off as the book reads too much like a blog post in some places - I feel like it would have benefited from tighter editing - but besides this minor flaw I would totally recommend this book to anyone interested in finding out more about life as an Arab woman, Arab culture, or even just the experience of being an 'immigrant'. In today's world, a book like this is actually essentially reading in my opinion! Thank you Alya for writing this brilliant book and sharing your personal experiences with us.

I am a 60+ white person and yet I understood some of the growing up (we had horrid girls in our white environment too) and some female discrimination. I too grew up in an expectation to get married and have children. No need for a career. It was interesting for me though to learn the differences too. Well done Alya for your strength of character for being you. I am still down trodden by a husband! Very well balanced account. Thank you

I started reading this, found it difficult and thought I either wouldn't finish or give it 2*! I persevered and soon found it difficult to put down. It may be the thoughts, beliefs, values of a female Muslim born in Cairo but, I feel, is relevant to any gender of any faith born anywhere. We are who we are and follow the beliefs and values of the environment we are brought up with. This is what makes us all stereotypes of our background. A cultural shift shifts the stereotypical as a result. Unfortunately those brought up in conflict regard this the norm. Those brought up in peace find conflict difficult.I am better for reading it.

Absolutely adored reading this book, very well written and researched. It felt like the author was having a conversation with me personally. She manages to articulate what I have felt as a British person of Middle Eastern heritage, but have found difficult to put into words. It was as if she had read my mind! Can't recommend this book enough, especially to women of Middle Eastern descent. Passing this around to all my friends immediately to read!

An excellent book. One of the things I really liked about his book is it actually fit better as I read more of it, especially the last few chapters.I don't agree with everything in this book, it is probably 70% to 30%. I have always considered London home more the anywhere else. I am proudly a British Muslim a lot of the issues raised and discussed in this book applies to many people like me, even though the were brought up from a female point of view. If I had just one complaint of this book it would be apart jerks, (with the notable exception of Alya's father and "Courtney"), 95% of the Male voices on this book are from the jerks.One thing in general that has always made me laugh that come up in this book as well is hip hop fan are always, complaong about Rock/Metal songs, where as I have always found Hip Hop lyrics more disrespectful, to woman especially. Yet they are surprised when they really listen to them or find the people who sang the actually believe them.This book is well researched, and most of a current. Not just quoting academics and journalists but every day people (mainly women), popculture references and current event of this generation that everyone has been affected by. The other things this books tries to break is labels most people try to take the best of every category, without falling to the pitfall and if you do to learn from mistakes as life continually moves on.This is an excellent book and I would be interested to read more, but in favour of the gender gap to hear from some male voices that are not evil or ghosts. I definitely recommend this book along with Young British Muslim Voices.