Mornings in Jenin - Susan Abulhawa

This is the first novel from Susan Abulhawa and I have to say it is now on my Top Books list. It follows the tragic story of the Abulheja family, who are forcibly removed from their land in Palestine in 1948. During this removal, one of the grandsons of the Patriarch is stolen from his mother and grows up with a Jewish family, knowing nothing of his origins until he comes face to face with his older brother years later. Through Amal, the youngest granddaughter of the Patriarch we witness a shocking account of the abuses suffered by many Palestinian refugees. While I always knew the facts behind the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, this brings to life the reality behind it – the massacres and the human rights abuses. Abulhawa does not spare the reader and tells the story in such a raw way. For anyone who liked The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, I would highly recommend this book.

Mornings in Jenin - Susan Abulhawa