"You Exist Too Much" by Zaina Arafat

“'Someone needs to tame you.' I felt my heart sink at the fatalism of her reasoning. Yet we laughed and kept holding on to each other. Besides, we both knew it was too late: we had already started to shatter.”

Themes: Love; Intimacy; Romance; Mother/Daughter Relationship; Infatuation; Identity; Sexuality

Discussion Questions:

1.  Why do you think we never learn the main character’s name? How did you refer to her in your head?

2. What did you think about the non-linearity storytelling? How did it affect your reading experience?

3. Do you think the main character actually struggles with love addiction, or is it something else? Why does she face issues with intimacy?

4. What does the main character want from her love addiction rehab experience? How did you feel about her dynamics with the other characters there?

5. Did you find the main character likeable? Why or why not? Did you find it hard to give her grace?

6. The main character's identity as Palestinian-American isn't a focal point of the story, but it's important nonetheless. What did you think about the metaphors and allusions she used related to her identity as Palestinian-American?

7. What did you think about the main character's experience in Italy, and the relationship she had there?

8. How did you feel about the Argentine writer, and his relationship with the main character? Did she learn from this relationship? If so, what did she learn?