an insightful and beautiful read. the beginning, set in paris, is painted in such a dreamy light, which i think is intentional compared to the stark reality of the events that occur in and around nablus later on in the book. the book follows not only midhat but a few key characters in his life, which in turn weave a story of identity as well as duty to family and country. i learned a lot about the way life was like in palestine before the nakba, and it was heartbreaking to read the buildup to that tragic event. i'm really excited to read isabella hammad's most recent book as it was nominated for a booker prize.

free palestine.