News & opinions from a Palestinian-American
living & working in Ramallah/Al-Bireh, Palestine
8 post/s found with this tag.
![Non-violently resisting Israeli military occupation, with a scalpel [Book Review]](https://epalestine.ps/sambahour/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/non-violently-resisting-israeli-military-occupation-with-a-scalpel-472741138.jpeg)
Through recounting his own spectacular life, Dr. Shawki Harb’s memoir, “A Surgeon Under Israeli Occupation,” depicts Palestinian reality from the British Mandate to today. Born a Christian and breastfed by a Muslim, Dr. Harb embodies the best of both traditions. If you are from my generation or older in Palestine, you know and respect the person even if you have never crossed paths with him.
![“Stranger in My Own Land: Palestine, Israel and One Family’s Story of Home” by Fida Jiryis [Book Review]](https://epalestine.ps/sambahour/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/stranger-in-my-own-land-1183647562.jpeg)
I am ecstatic to be able to share with you the first review of the forthcoming book, Stranger in My Own Land: Palestine, Israel and One Family’s Story of Home, by Fida Jiryis. It was published in Le Monde diplomatique (English edition), September 2022 Issue, as part of their Palestine special report. For over a decade, I witnessed the making of this landmark memoir from concept to publishing. All I can say is R-E-S-P-E-C-T to the author and publisher. Order your copy today; this is not one to be missed!
![Kingdom of Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation [Recommended]](https://epalestine.ps/sambahour/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/KingdomofOlivesandAsh-708468-1.jpg)
Proud to have contributed in several ways to this book project. Actually, it’s much more than a book project as you will see by who the authors are and what their riveting stories reveal.
![The frozen Chosen: Michael Chabon’s “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union” [Book Review]](https://epalestine.ps/sambahour/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/BookCover-hires-1.jpg)
Reading fiction does not come easy for me. I guess, while living under a military occupation, there is too much non-fiction pounding at our lives to allow us to get happily lost in fiction. Reading The Yiddish Policemen’s Union may have changed that. No wonder this novel received a ton of awards; it takes fiction to new levels. Not only does Michael have a truly amazing command of the English language (proof being that my dictionary accompanied me in turning each of the 414 pages), but it turns out his Yiddish is not so bad too. Add to that a true historic premise to base his plot on, and linking the story to a few themes that are alive and well, albeit repulsive (think murder, racism, substance abuse, and more) in today’s real world, and what comes to life is something that you’ll be reflecting on long after the book takes its well-earned place on your bookshelf.
![Support Palestinian women writers! “Al-Khawaja”—a new book release in Arabic from Fida Jiryis [Recommended]](https://epalestine.ps/sambahour/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/khawaja-anthology-fida-jiryis.png)
Those of you who know me personally know how much I respect the written word. It is in this spirit that I write you as part of my ongoing efforts to support Palestinian culture and arts, especially writing, and more specifically women writers. One of the up and coming woman writers whom I’m supporting is Fida Jiryis. Fida is from the Palestinian village of Fassouta, near the border with Lebanon. She is a dear friend and dedicated colleague. AL-KHAWAJA is a sequel to Fida’s first book of short stories titled Hayatuna Elsagheera (“Our Small Life”).
!["The Woman I Left Behind", a novel by Kim Jenson [Book Review]](https://epalestine.ps/sambahour/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/the-woman-i-left-behind-a-novel-by-kim-jensen.jpg)