In Evil Eye, Etaf Rum explores family dynamics through the lens of her protagonist, Yara, a thirty-year-old Palestinian woman living in North Carolina. As the cultural expectations toward her family bind her, she struggles to choose between family and freedom. Angie Kim traces familial ties in Happiness Falls, which centers on Mia, a quick-talking narrator who struggles to find her missing father. Though her brother is the key to finding out what happened, he cannot speak due to a rare genetic condition. Both authors focus on obligations within the household and how far people will go for — or against — their family.

Moderator: Zahie El Kouri

Book Signing: 2:15 PM at Central Presbyterian ChurchAngie Kim, Etaf Rum, HAPPINESS FALLS, Evil Eye