“’The Red-Haired Woman’ explores the many myths and stories about father-son relationships ranging from the Old Testament and the Koran to Sophocles, Freud’s theory of the Oedipus Complex, ‘Hamlet,’ and the 10th-century Persian epic ‘Rostram and Sohrab,’” Julie Azzam writes.
She continues, “‘The Red-Haired Woman’ is a beautifully written parable, a thoughtful consideration of Western and Eastern myths of fathers and sons, and the limits of free will. The book asks: ‘Is the need for a father always there?’ The answer: Fathers are necessary, if only to be killed by their sons. It’s the ultimate act of love and betrayal.”