Here are six powerful fiction books by Palestinian authors.
‘My First and Only Love’
Sahar Khalifeh’s book is a deeply poetic account of love and resistance through a young girl’s eyes.
‘Minor Detail’
Adania Shibli’s book is a searing novel meditating on war, violence and memory. It was longlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize.
‘Where the Bird Disappeared’
This lyrical novel, by Ghassan Zaqtan, is set in the surroundings of the Palestinian village of Zakariyya. It weaves a narrative rich in sensory detail yet troubled by the porousness of memory.
‘Trees for the Absentees’
Ahlam Bsharat’s novel moves delicately between a young woman growing up and the occupation that looms overhead.
‘Against the Loveless World’
Susan Abulhawa’s book follows Nahr, a young Palestinian woman who fights for a better life for her family as she travels as a refugee throughout the Middle East. It was among the finalists for the 2020 Athenaeum of Philadelphia Literary Award.
‘Mother of Strangers’
Based on the true story of two Jaffa teenagers in the late 1940’s, “Mother of Strangers” by Suad Amiry follows the daily lives of Subhi, a 15-year-old mechanic, and Shams, the 13-year-old student he hopes to marry one day.
