Spotlight and Secrets

Mia, a young Arab American woman in New York, finds freedom and confidence performing stand-up comedy, using humor to process her identity and pain. Yet, offstage, she reverts to a more subdued version of herself, careful to hide her comedic pursuits from her conservative grandparents and her professional world. The thrill of the spotlight is tempered by the need to keep secrets, especially from her family, who value respectability and fear public scrutiny. Mia's double life is a delicate balancing act, and the tension between her public and private selves is palpable, setting the stage for the emotional journey ahead.

Ghosts of Grief

After losing her father in 9/11 and her mother as a baby, Mia is raised by her Palestinian grandparents. Grief isolates her, making her wary of intimacy and connection. School becomes a minefield of microaggressions and bullying, especially post-9/11, as Mia is othered for her Arab identity. Books and humor become her refuge. Her friendship with Katie, a vivacious and loyal confidante, offers solace, but Mia's reluctance to share her true self—even with Katie—reveals the depth of her emotional scars. The past lingers, shaping her relationships and her sense of self-worth.

Friendship and Forbidden Longing

Mia's crush on her boss, Jackson, is complicated by workplace dynamics and cultural expectations. Their chemistry is undeniable, but Mia's fear of gossip, her family's strict values, and Jackson's budding relationship with another woman keep her at arm's length. Meanwhile, Katie's own romantic misadventures and candidness about sex highlight Mia's inexperience and internalized shame. The contrast between Katie's openness and Mia's restraint underscores the cultural and generational divides Mia navigates daily, as well as her longing for connection and acceptance.

Microaggressions and Memories

Mia's experiences with casual racism and stereotyping—at bars, in school, and in public—are a constant reminder of her outsider status. She is often forced to represent her entire culture, fielding ignorant questions and enduring subtle and overt prejudice. These moments fuel her comedy but also deepen her sense of alienation. A traumatic encounter with a predatory man further cements her distrust of vulnerability. The city is both a place of possibility and a site of pain, and Mia's resilience is tested as she tries to carve out a space where she belongs.

Home Behind Closed Doors

At home, Mia's grandparents embody the values and anxieties of the immigrant experience. Their undocumented status adds a layer of fear and caution to their lives. Dinner conversations are laced with love, worry, and the weight of expectations. Mia's secret life as a comedian is a source of guilt, as she feels she is betraying their sacrifices and hopes for her. The arrival of Phaedra, a glamorous new tenant with possible family connections, stirs up old wounds and questions about the past, hinting at secrets that have shaped Mia's family for generations.

The Glittering Stranger

Phaedra, a successful Palestinian American musician, moves into Mia's building, dazzling everyone with her confidence and style. Her openness about her career and identity contrasts sharply with Mia's secrecy. Phaedra's mention of the Almas family in Dubai hints at a larger, fractured family network and reignites Mia's desire to understand her roots. The encounter leaves Mia both inspired and unsettled, as she grapples with feelings of inadequacy and the possibility of a different, more integrated life.

Double Lives Collide

As Mia juggles her work at Vibe Media, her comedy gigs, and her family obligations, the boundaries between her worlds begin to blur. A viral article about her stand-up act, written by Katie without Mia's consent, exposes her to public scrutiny and puts her grandparents at risk due to their undocumented status. The fallout strains her closest relationships and forces Mia to confront the consequences of living a double life. The tension between authenticity and safety becomes unbearable, pushing Mia toward a reckoning with herself and those she loves.

Rooftop Confessions

In a moment of emotional intensity, Mia and Jackson share a passionate kiss, breaking through years of restraint and longing. The encounter is both exhilarating and terrifying, as it threatens to upend their professional and personal lives. Mia's guilt over Jackson's girlfriend and her fear of her family's reaction are compounded by the public exposure from Katie's article. The rooftop becomes a liminal space where Mia must decide whether to embrace desire and risk or retreat into familiar patterns of self-protection.

Family Ties and Hidden Pasts

Driven by Phaedra's hints and her own longing for connection, Mia presses her grandmother, Teta, for answers about their family's history. Teta's reluctance to revisit the past is rooted in pain and shame, but she eventually entrusts Mia with a blue journal—a handwritten account of love, loss, and betrayal in 1940s Palestine. As Mia translates and reads the journal, she uncovers a story of two sisters, Zeina and Layla, whose choices reverberate across generations. The past and present intertwine, revealing the deep roots of Mia's identity struggles.

The Blue Journal

The journal recounts Zeina's forbidden romance with a British soldier, Richard, and her forced marriage to the wealthy Abu Shanab. Layla, the overlooked sister, harbors jealousy and resentment, leading to a devastating act of betrayal. As war erupts and the family is displaced, Zeina's choices have irreversible consequences. The story is one of passion, sacrifice, and the high cost of defying societal norms. Mia sees echoes of her own life in Zeina's struggles, and the journal becomes a mirror for her own fears and desires.

Sisters and Soldiers

The journal's narrative crescendos with Zeina's escape from her marriage, her brief reunion with Richard, and her ultimate abandonment. Layla assumes Zeina's identity and place in the family, while Zeina, pregnant and alone, finds solace in music and the kindness of strangers. The sisters' estrangement and the loss of homeland are emblematic of the broader Palestinian diaspora experience. Mia is deeply moved by the parallels to her own life—the longing for love, the pain of exile, and the search for self-definition.

Love and Betrayal

As Mia finishes the journal, she confronts Teta about the true ending of the story. Teta reveals the full extent of Layla's betrayal and her own journey to America, where she rebuilt her life with Maher (Jeddo) and raised Mia's father. The act of writing and sharing the story becomes an act of healing and reclamation. Mia realizes that forgiveness—of others and of oneself—is essential for moving forward. The intergenerational trauma and resilience of her family become a source of strength rather than shame.

The Price of Reputation

The viral article about Mia's comedy act brings both opportunity and danger. While it leads to a coveted job offer as a comedy writer, it also threatens her family's safety and her relationships. Mia must navigate the fallout with Katie, Jackson, and her grandparents, learning to advocate for herself and set boundaries. The experience forces her to reevaluate her priorities and the meaning of success, ultimately choosing authenticity over approval.

Viral Fame, Real Consequences

Mia's newfound fame opens doors—most notably, an offer to join the writing team of a major comedy show. Yet, the exposure also brings anxiety about her family's legal status and her own sense of belonging. The support of friends, new and old, helps her weather the storm, but the experience is a crucible that tests her values and her capacity for self-acceptance. The tension between visibility and vulnerability is ever-present, but Mia begins to find her voice.

Truths Unravel

With the help of legal allies and the support of her chosen family, Mia's grandparents begin the process of securing legal status. Teta and Jeddo's love story is celebrated in a symbolic wedding ceremony, bringing closure to decades of loss and longing. Mia's relationships with Katie and Jackson are repaired, and she steps into her new role as a comedy writer with confidence. The past is honored, but no longer dictates the future.

Forgiveness and Fresh Starts

Mia learns to forgive Katie for her betrayal, recognizing the complexity of ambition and friendship. She also forgives herself for past mistakes and for the ways she has hidden or diminished herself. The act of performing comedy becomes not just a career, but a means of healing and connection. Mia's journey is one of integration—of her identities, her histories, and her hopes. She embraces the messiness of life, finding beauty in imperfection and strength in vulnerability.

The Power of Laughter

Onstage at the Comedy Cellar, Mia delivers a set that weaves together her personal history, her family's story, and the absurdities of cultural identity. Laughter becomes a form of resistance, a way to claim space and assert belonging. The audience's response affirms Mia's place in the world—not as a token or a stereotype, but as a fully realized individual. The power of humor to bridge divides and heal wounds is celebrated, and Mia stands in the spotlight, unapologetically herself.

Full Circle

The novel concludes with Mia, her family, and her friends gathered to celebrate Teta and Jeddo's wedding in Central Park, surrounded by olive trees and snow. The ceremony is a testament to survival, love, and the possibility of renewal. Mia's journey from secrecy and shame to visibility and joy is complete, but the story acknowledges that healing is ongoing. The past is not erased, but transformed into a source of wisdom and connection. The final image is one of hope—a new generation, a new story, and the enduring power of love.

Characters

Mia Almas

Mia is a Palestinian American in her mid-twenties, living in New York and navigating the complexities of identity, grief, and ambition. Raised by her undocumented grandparents after losing her parents, Mia is both fiercely independent and deeply loyal. Her double life as a fact-checker by day and stand-up comedian by night reflects her struggle to reconcile her public and private selves. Mia's relationships—with her family, her best friend Katie, and her boss/crush Jackson—are shaped by her fear of judgment and her longing for acceptance. Over the course of the novel, Mia evolves from a guarded, self-effacing young woman into someone who claims her voice, her desires, and her place in the world, learning that vulnerability is a source of strength.

Teta (Amal/Zeina)

Teta, Mia's grandmother, is the emotional anchor of the family. Her life story, revealed through a blue journal, is one of love, loss, and resilience. As Zeina, she experienced a passionate but doomed romance in 1940s Palestine, a forced marriage, betrayal by her sister, and eventual exile. Reinventing herself as Amal in America, she raises Mia's father and later Mia herself, carrying the weight of intergenerational trauma and the burden of secrets. Teta's journey is one of survival, forgiveness, and the reclamation of agency. Her willingness to finally share her story with Mia is an act of profound trust and healing, allowing both women to move forward.

Jeddo (Maher)

Jeddo, Mia's grandfather, is not her biological relative but becomes her true family through his unwavering support and kindness. A Palestinian refugee and musician, he marries Teta and helps raise Mia's father and Mia herself. His undocumented status is a source of anxiety, but his love for his family is unconditional. Jeddo embodies the values of sacrifice, humility, and quiet strength. His eventual legal recognition and wedding to Teta symbolize the possibility of redemption and new beginnings, even after a lifetime of hardship.

Katie Gromley

Katie is Mia's best friend and colleague, a fact-checker with a rebellious streak and a penchant for oversharing. Her impulsive decision to write a viral article about Mia's comedy act without consent is a major breach of trust, but it is motivated by admiration and a desire to help. Katie's own struggles with family expectations, career ambition, and romantic entanglements mirror Mia's, though she approaches them with more bravado. Their friendship is tested but ultimately endures, grounded in mutual respect and the ability to forgive.

Jackson

Jackson is Mia's boss at Vibe Media and the object of her long-standing affection. Afro-Latino, passionate about diversity in media, and committed to mentoring youth, Jackson is both a source of inspiration and anxiety for Mia. Their relationship is marked by mutual attraction, professional boundaries, and the complications of office politics and existing relationships. Jackson's support during Mia's public crisis and his willingness to pursue a real relationship with her signal his depth and integrity. He represents the possibility of love that is both passionate and safe.

Phaedra

Phaedra is a Palestinian American musician and new tenant in Mia's building. Her openness about her career, sexuality, and family history challenges Mia's assumptions and inspires her to embrace her own complexity. Phaedra's own struggles—with intimacy, cultural expectations, and a complicated romantic life—mirror Mia's, but she approaches them with humor and self-acceptance. Phaedra becomes both a friend and a symbol of the life Mia could have if she lets go of fear.

Zeina (in the journal)

Zeina, Teta's younger self, is the protagonist of the blue journal's historical narrative. Her forbidden love for a British soldier, her forced marriage, and her betrayal by her sister Layla are the emotional core of the family's intergenerational trauma. Zeina's choices are shaped by the constraints of her time and culture, but her longing for freedom and love is universal. Her story is a cautionary tale and a source of empathy for Mia, illustrating the costs and rewards of following one's heart.

Layla

Layla, Zeina's older sister, is defined by her sense of being overlooked and undervalued. Her resentment toward Zeina leads her to a devastating act of betrayal—assuming Zeina's identity and place in the family after Zeina's exile. Layla's actions are driven by pain and a desire for recognition, but they have lasting consequences for both sisters. Her story is a meditation on the corrosive effects of envy and the possibility of forgiveness.

Abu Shanab (Haytham Ramle)

Abu Shanab is Zeina's husband by arrangement, a symbol of security and tradition. His marriage to Zeina is marked by kindness but also by the absence of true intimacy. His eventual displacement and the loss of his family's legacy mirror the broader themes of exile and the fragility of status. He is both a victim and a beneficiary of the social order that constrains the women in his life.

Richard

Richard, the British soldier, is Zeina's great love and the catalyst for much of the family's drama. His inability to overcome the obstacles of war, culture, and circumstance leads to Zeina's abandonment and the unraveling of her life. Richard represents the allure and danger of forbidden love, as well as the limits of individual agency in the face of history.

Plot Devices

Dual Timeline and Intergenerational Narrative

The novel employs a dual timeline structure, weaving Mia's contemporary journey with the historical narrative of her grandmother's youth in Palestine. The blue journal serves as a literal and metaphorical bridge between generations, allowing the past to illuminate the present. This structure enables the exploration of recurring themes—identity, exile, love, betrayal, and forgiveness—across time, highlighting the ways in which personal and collective histories shape individual destinies.

Secrets, Revelation, and the Power of Storytelling

The motif of secrecy—whether about Mia's comedy, her family's undocumented status, or Teta's past—creates tension and propels the narrative. The gradual revelation of these secrets, often through storytelling (onstage, in journals, or in conversation), is both cathartic and transformative. The act of telling one's story becomes an act of agency, healing, and connection, challenging the silence imposed by shame and fear.

Comedy as Coping and Resistance

Comedy is both Mia's passion and her survival mechanism. It allows her to process trauma, challenge stereotypes, and assert her identity in a world that often seeks to diminish her. The novel uses stand-up routines, witty dialogue, and meta-commentary on the power of laughter to explore the intersections of pain and joy, vulnerability and strength. Comedy is depicted as a form of resistance, a way to claim space and build community.

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

The blue journal, the olive tree, the recurring references to food, and the motif of hair (curly vs. straight) are all used to foreshadow revelations and symbolize broader themes. The olive tree, for example, represents resilience, rootedness, and the possibility of renewal. The act of braiding or unbraiding hair mirrors Mia's journey toward integration and self-acceptance.

Social Media and Public/Private Boundaries

The viral article about Mia's comedy act serves as a plot catalyst, forcing private struggles into the public eye and raising questions about consent, representation, and the costs of visibility. The tension between curated online personas and authentic self-expression is a recurring concern, reflecting the pressures of contemporary life.

Analysis

What Will People Think? is a vibrant, emotionally resonant exploration of identity, belonging, and the courage to live authentically in the face of cultural, familial, and societal expectations. Through its dual timeline structure, the novel deftly connects the personal and the political, showing how the traumas and choices of one generation echo in the lives of the next. Mia's journey—from secrecy and self-doubt to visibility and self-acceptance—is both deeply specific and universally relatable, capturing the complexities of the immigrant experience, the weight of intergenerational trauma, and the transformative power of storytelling and humor. The book challenges readers to question the narratives they inherit and the ones they create, urging a move from fear and shame to openness and connection. Ultimately, it is a celebration of resilience, the healing potential of laughter, and the enduring strength of love—romantic, familial, and communal. The lesson is clear: true belonging comes not from conforming to others' expectations, but from embracing one's whole, complicated self and daring to share that self with the world.

Last updated: August 20, 2025