I've read the 2 earlier books by Randa Abdel-Fattah (Does My Head Look Big In This? & Ten Things I Hate About Me) and have been looking for this one.
Though her books are targeted to young adults, I enjoyed reading them nonetheless. Her stories are always funny and enjoyable to read. Yet, at the same time, they deal with serious issues such as coming to grips with your identity and being a proud Muslim in a discouraging/hostile environment.
Her latest book attempts to tackle an even bigger issue: the plight of the Palestinians.
I love the novel! Hayaat, the 13-year-old heroine is a spunky character that you'll come to love and admire.
When her beloved grandmother, Sitti Zeynab, collapsed and was taken away in an ambulance, Hayaat knew that she had to do something. So, she came up with the idea to bring back a handful of soil from her grandmother's ancestral home in Jerusalem.
Hayaat enlisted the help of her best friend, Samy, to help her negotiate the various obstacles she needed to overcome to enter Jerusalem (the separation wall, the checkpoints, the curfews, the permit system, etc).
Even though their journey is only a few kilometres long and should not have taken more than 20 minutes by car, due to the obstacles mentioned above, it took hours and was fraught with danger.
Besides having a strong protagonist, the novel also offers memorable supporting characters. Samy, who "infuriates adults even without saying a word", is a standout. The others; Sitti Zeynab, Mama, Baba and Jihan (Hayaat's older sister) also contribute significantly to the novel.
I like how Randa Abdel-Fattah interspersed the profound message of her novel with funny dialogues such as this between Hayaat and Samy:
"What if we die?"
"Eh?"
"What if we get shot?"
"I probably won't. I have my cross for protection. I can lend you one if you like. But you're a Muslim, so it might not work".
They are cute, aren't they? Do read the book if you can.
2 comments:
syada, you always manage to get hold of good and interesting books!
assalam blog owner! thought about saying nothing but i found the blog because of this book, not a reader myself but looking for it for my teenage sis. then i saw the hadis on the right, goodness me! its my all time favorite hadis, smacked on my now defunct blog as well which is why im saying hello and thanks :)
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