fawzul's Reviews (144)

The book had a cute premise to begin with but nothing — and I mean this with love — nothing could distract me from the writing and just how much it made me remember my days of Wattpad in the summer of ‘12. 

And not in the good way. 

winner of the international booker prize, in 2023, minor detail was awarded the german "LiBeraturpreis" award that was supposed to be presented at the frankfurt bookfair. 

days before, the organization in charge of presenting the award retracted their statement, citing "the war started by hamas, under which millions of people in Israel and palestine are suffering" as a reason not to award her onsite.

over a 1000 notable authors and critics would then come forward in support of adania shibli. the novel — just over a 140 pages long and written originally in arabic — centers two palestinian women in two distinct points in time. both women have no names, no inkling, no shared history towards one another except the same fate and birthday. 

it is a linear narration — where a woman in ramallah tries to unearth a brutal rape and execution of a young arab woman by israeli soldiers in 1949. she is drawn to her the moment she discovers her death and it is what she sets to discover that we understand. they are two women in two different points in time who suffer not under the consequences of war but occupation. 

a profound read and necessary, now more than ever.