Amelia beat me to the punch here, but I found myself wondering many of the same things as her. Yvonne and Huda have left their home country and made successful lives for themselves as independent women, but most of the book revolves around their relationships with men. I like them as characters, and want them to find happy and successful relationships, but I found myself wanting more than what the story line gave us. I was a little confused on what Huda wants in life: a steady relationship? Her play seems to be doing well, but do her romantic pursuits matter more to her than her work? I had similar questions about Yvonne. Does she end up having the baby she so desperately craves? Do any of her relationships work out? Huda and Yvonne are more likely to succeed as professionals in Canada and London (rather than simply becoming homemakers in their native Lebanon), and it is natural for people to find meaningful relationships through their work and similar pursuits, but I wanted it to happen by chance, rather than by both women trying so hard to create relationships where they are unlikely to last.
This is a beautifully written book, with funny and interesting characters whose successes I became invested in. I wanted to like it more than I did, but I think I prefer books like “Americanah” over “The Occasional Virgin.”