Velvet

A luscious window into the inner lives of women growing up in a Palestinian camp in Jordon. Do not read in close proximity to Educated, if you’re not well braced for even more heavy domestic abuse. This one is much more expressionistic, however, emphasizing how several of the characters displace their pain through focusing on both memories and details of daily life. (The title is not metaphorical, but refers to several bolts of rich cloth that seamstresses in the story valued.)