Chapter 7

Summary

• The chapter follows a character named Yara as she struggles with routine and the cultural differences between her own upbringing and that of her brothers.
• Yara assigns a class project for her students to research art representing their cultural identity, but the students are disengaged.
• Yara contemplates visiting the college’s art gallery but realizes she has a faculty meeting to attend instead.
• On her way to the meeting, Yara takes photos on campus and reflects on the beauty of the Carolina fall.
• Yara shares a photo on Instagram with a quote from Mahmoud Darwish and receives a quick reaction from one of her brothers.
• She has little contact with her brothers, who lead lives with more freedom than she had growing up.
• Yara feels resentment over the gender inequality she experienced compared to her brothers' freedoms.
• Yara reflects on receiving an email about a Scandinavian cruise and considers her own limited opportunities to travel.
• She has an uncomfortable encounter at the faculty meeting with a colleague, Amanda, who makes racially insensitive remarks.
• Yara responds forcefully to Amanda, telling her off before leaving the meeting in distress.
• After the confrontation, Yara drives to her daughters' school earlier than necessary, overwhelmed with emotions and feeling the weight of her cultural context on her personal identity.
• Yara calls her mother to share the incident, reflecting on her mother’s regrets and the constraints on their lives as Arab women.
• She has a contentious moment with her mother about the latter’s abandoned singing aspirations and the impact of superstitions on their lives.
• Yara breaks down on the side of the road as she grapples with her inner turmoil and considers a drastic action to escape her feelings.
• She is interrupted by her daughters, who share their test scores and unknowingly pull Yara back from the brink of her dark thoughts by suggesting they listen to music.
• The chapter ends with Yara driving away with music alleviating the tension, masking the depth of her internal struggle.