The Coin

This was a really weird and unique book to read, set in NYC and featuring a seemingly wealthy Palestinian woman. This unnamed woman is fixated on cleanliness, hygiene, luxury, manners, and etc..

I kept feeling like I was reading a Palestinian version of Holly Golightly, the protaganist of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but slightly more unhinged. In The Coin, the woman (who is unnamed) gets involved in a scheme to buy and sell Hermès Birkins, and of course she’s quite fond of luxury goods to the point she gives the reader a list of the goods she owns. Another tidbit, she relies on her brothers who control her inheritance, yes she is wealthy, but she doesn’t have control of that wealth. In this way I thought Holly is similar, that is in the sense she glorifies Tiffany’s and relies on men to fund her lifestyle.

There were so many interesting observations she had in the book, like her commenting on how dirty New York City is and how she notices dirt everywhere, something my spouse never fails to mention having moved to New York City from a cleaner environment:

Dirt was my first hypothesis. It had its way of going where nothing else would go, and I kept seeing it, on surfaces, in corners, underneath furniture and long nails. I always noticed it, which is not unusual, because I noticed many things

Her observations go to depths of dark humor:

Americans are very protective of their children, maybe because it’s the only country in the world with the cultural practice of school shootings.

and then other times profound:

I’ve always been motivated by pleasure, never by money, because money I had enough of and pleasure one cannot possess.

So as the book goes on you get to witness her unraveling, and if you live in NYC, especially if you’re a migrant, you’ll likely identify with some of her passing thoughts.

Its a book with an interesting narrator that keeps you captured during the reading because of how oddly fascinating and relatable this character can be. The book is short enough to read in a couple of sittings, and small enough to carry on your commute. I don’t have a strong recommendation of reading this, but if you’re longing for something more original, set in New York City, given everything I’ve mentioned above.. you’ll enjoy this. Normally, I would not even recommend this book to people but something about this book brings out wildly different views, ratings and opinions. I love that, and hope you form those views after reading too!