Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, physical abuse, gender discrimination, and religious discrimination.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What impact did Rum’s alternating timelines have on your reading experience? How does this book compare to others you’ve read with similar structures or concerns? (For example, Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club explores mother-daughter relationships across different cultural contexts.)

2. What was your initial reaction to the revelation that Isra was murdered by Adam rather than dying in a car accident as Deya had been told?

3. Which character’s journey resonated with you most powerfully throughout the novel, and why?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Isra finds escape in books, particularly One Thousand and One Nights. What books have served as a refuge for you during difficult times, and what made them comforting?

2. When have you witnessed the transformative power of breaking silence about difficult truths, either in your own life or in someone else’s?