2013 - 51 - Mornings in Jenin, by Susan Abulhawa

51 - Mornings in Jenin, by Susan Abulhawa
WHY I PICKED IT: I enjoyed an OpEd by her on Al Jazeera's website, and wanted to read more
ELAPSED TIME: 2 Weeks
RATING:REQUIRED READING

This book may be one of my favourite all time stories.  I have to wait a few days (or years) to see how the story sticks with me, but my gut perspective is that this story is simply brilliant.

In 1955, Amal is born in Jenin, a refugee camp in the West Bank of Palestine.  This is her story. Starting with her grandparents and parents and the movement of Jewish people into the region.  The creation of Israel and the Naqba.  Her own birth experiences of growing up in a refugee camp in the shadow of Israel, including the Six Day War in 1967, through to her adult life in the USA, Lebanon, and the impact those experiences had on her as a parent, and a human.

The story and characters draw you in, but the depths of emotion make this a difficult (although brilliant) read.  This is explained well when Amal's sister-in-law explains: "Consider fear.  For us, fear comes where terror comes to others because we are anesthetized to the guns constantly pointed at us.  And the terror we have known is something few Westerners ever will."

Abulhawa writes in her acknowledgements that one driver for her was Dr. Edward Said, who lamented that the Palestinian narrative was lacking in literature. This, beautifully written story, makes great strides in filling that gap.  It gives voice to the experience of millions.