Status
Available
Call number
Publication
London : Bloomsbury, 2011.
Description
Mornings in Jenin is a multigenerational story about a Palestinian family. Forcibly removed from the olive-farming village of Ein Hod by the newly formed state of Israel in 1948, the Abulhejos are displaced to live in canvas tents in the Jenin refugee camp. We follow the Abulhejo family as they live through a half century of violent history. Amid the loss and fear, hatred and pain, as their tents are replaced by more forebodingly permanent cinderblock huts, there is always the waiting, waiting to return to a lost home. The novel's voice is that of Amal, the granddaughter of the old village patriarch, a bright, sensitive girl who makes it out of the camps only to return years later, to marry and bear a child. Through her eyes, with her evolving vision, we get the story of her brothers, one who is kidnapped to be raised Jewish, one who will end with bombs strapped to his middle. But of the many interwoven stories stretching backward and forward in time, none is more important than Amal's own. Her story is one of love and loss, of childhood and marriage and parenthood, and finally of the need to share her history with her daughter, to preserve the greatest love she has. Set against one of the 20th century's most intractable political conflicts, Mornings in Jenin is a deeply human novel--a novel of history, identity, friendship, love, terrorism, surrender, courage, and hope. Its power forces us to take a fresh look at one of the defining conflicts of our lifetimes.… (more)
Media reviews
The everyday life of cramped conditions, poverty, restriction, and the fear of soldiers, guns, checkpoints and beatings, would have been enough to make the novel unforgettable, but Abulhawa's writing also shines, at best assured and unsentimental.
Princeton, Il.
Mornings in Jenin (Susan Abulhawa)
This book is the story of Amal Abulheja and her family spanning 54 years. It starts in 1948 when the family is removed from their home in Ein Hod and forced to live as refugees in Jenin. It is a tragic tale of war and loss, yet is also a story of family bonding,
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love and dedication.
Amal goes through war and conflict between Palestine (Muslims) and Israel (Jewish). She is a strong proud woman, with tragedy following her. The vivid detail of war and terror is heart felt and grabbed me by the heart. It is difficult for one to imagine to live as refuges, with curfews and fear, bombs gunfire and death. The graphic detail of the treatment of the refuges, especially the children was heart wrenching. All the lives lost is saddening. This story left an impression. One that makes me want peace within the world, more than ever before. How this will happen, I have no clue.
I admit I know little of the conflict between Palestine & Israel and I suppose most of the world does not understand, nor know as well. (I could be wrong, but it is my opinion). I found this an unforgettable read. I highly recommend Mornings In Jenin and would love to read more by Ms. Abulhawa. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member schatzi
This was a difficult book for me to read, although probably not for the reasons that the author intended.
Technically speaking, the writing is very good at first. The first part of the book (until Amal's birth) is written in third-person, which the author manages well. And then she decides to
As for the characterizations, however...
First, I must disclose several things: I am Jewish, I am the descendant of Holocaust survivors (and victims), and I have relatives who live in Israel (and have served in the Israeli army). I do not consider myself a Zionist or particularly pro-Israel.
The author is very obviously anti-Israel, which she beats the reader over the head with at every opportunity. But more troublesome to me is the fact that she uses "Israeli" and "Jew" and "Zionist" interchangeably. Not all Jews are Israelis or Zionists, a distinction that seems to be lost in this book. The Israelis, except for three or four (two unnamed soldiers, Ari Perlman, and perhaps Jolanta Avaram), are unfailingly portrayed as brutal, sadistic, homicidal maniacs who have only one goal in life: to eradicate all Palestinians from the earth. And that is simply not true and very, very unfair.
This is why I found it so difficult to read this book. The non-Palestinian characters are absolutely horrible and one-dimensional. And the author tars us all with the same brush. And the slurs used! Israelis/Jews are compared to Nazis more than once (the worst insult I can fathom) and called numerous names (dogs, murderers, thieves, sons of whores, filth, etc, etc). The rage and hatred dripping from these pages was almost palpable every time I picked up this book.
The Palestinians, on the other hand, are almost uniformly portrayed as good and gentle and kind and peace-loving. There are a few who aren't (Huda's father is the only one who comes to mind at the moment). While Israelis are routinely labeled as terrorists, the author never once refers to Palestinians as terrorists without quotation marks, and that is only when she's showing that they aren't really. No, they are resistance soldiers and freedom fighters and martyrs! Nevermind the fact that those "martyrs" routinely target unarmed civilians; that is apparently perfectly acceptable, since all Israelis are evil incarnate. Even the PLO is portrayed in a positive light.
The author's take on this conflict is horribly one-sided. There are innocents on both sides, and there are militant hotheads on both sides. The cold hard fact is that both sides are guilty here. There is innocent blood on the hands of Israel and Palestine. And bombing each other into oblivion is not going to solve their problems. Neither is writing lop-sided, horribly characterized propaganda.
Technically speaking, the writing is very good at first. The first part of the book (until Amal's birth) is written in third-person, which the author manages well. And then she decides to
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bounce around between third-person and first-person (with several different characters). She does this throughout the rest of the book, and I found it to be very distracting, especially when she'd switch first-person perspectives without warning. Most of the chapters are short (a couple of pages each), and it was a headache with the rapid-fire changes. I would have preferred her to pick one and stick with it.As for the characterizations, however...
First, I must disclose several things: I am Jewish, I am the descendant of Holocaust survivors (and victims), and I have relatives who live in Israel (and have served in the Israeli army). I do not consider myself a Zionist or particularly pro-Israel.
The author is very obviously anti-Israel, which she beats the reader over the head with at every opportunity. But more troublesome to me is the fact that she uses "Israeli" and "Jew" and "Zionist" interchangeably. Not all Jews are Israelis or Zionists, a distinction that seems to be lost in this book. The Israelis, except for three or four (two unnamed soldiers, Ari Perlman, and perhaps Jolanta Avaram), are unfailingly portrayed as brutal, sadistic, homicidal maniacs who have only one goal in life: to eradicate all Palestinians from the earth. And that is simply not true and very, very unfair.
This is why I found it so difficult to read this book. The non-Palestinian characters are absolutely horrible and one-dimensional. And the author tars us all with the same brush. And the slurs used! Israelis/Jews are compared to Nazis more than once (the worst insult I can fathom) and called numerous names (dogs, murderers, thieves, sons of whores, filth, etc, etc). The rage and hatred dripping from these pages was almost palpable every time I picked up this book.
The Palestinians, on the other hand, are almost uniformly portrayed as good and gentle and kind and peace-loving. There are a few who aren't (Huda's father is the only one who comes to mind at the moment). While Israelis are routinely labeled as terrorists, the author never once refers to Palestinians as terrorists without quotation marks, and that is only when she's showing that they aren't really. No, they are resistance soldiers and freedom fighters and martyrs! Nevermind the fact that those "martyrs" routinely target unarmed civilians; that is apparently perfectly acceptable, since all Israelis are evil incarnate. Even the PLO is portrayed in a positive light.
The author's take on this conflict is horribly one-sided. There are innocents on both sides, and there are militant hotheads on both sides. The cold hard fact is that both sides are guilty here. There is innocent blood on the hands of Israel and Palestine. And bombing each other into oblivion is not going to solve their problems. Neither is writing lop-sided, horribly characterized propaganda.
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LibraryThing member Fourpawz2
In 1982 the Palestinian refugee camps at Sabra and Shatila were attacked by the Lebanese Christian forces – allowed inside by the Israeli army surrounding the camps and thousands of civilians were massacred. For me, it was the turning point in the way I viewed Israel. However, predisposed as I
Mornings in Jenin is a multi-generational story of a Palestinian family. It ranges over four generations, focusing primarily on Amal the only daughter in the third generation, the child of Dalia and Hasan. Her family, once prosperous farmers in the village of Ein Hod, is driven from their land in 1948 in the Jewish takeover of Palestine, forced to live in a refugee camp at Jenin. In the confusion and terror of the Jewish invasion of their village, a child is lost – taken by a Jewish soldier and given to his wife to bring up as their own son. The baby’s mother, Dalia, gradually loses her mind – the abduction of her baby being just the first blow. Amal is not born yet – born in Jenin some years later, she only knows her baby brother and the family’s lost home through the stories of her family.
Like any child, she does not fully know the truth about their life – that they have nothing, that they are homeless and that the lives they lead are forced upon them by the Israeli forces who watch them continually. She is a child and she is happy playing with her best friend Huda and spending time alone with her father in the early mornings, reading. She knows only poverty and has no idea what they have all lost. Even when her beloved grandfather is gunned down for having the temerity to re-visit their old home in Ein Hod, Amal does not fully comprehend their situation. Then comes the Six Day War in 1967 and for the first time Amal sees killing on a massive scale when her camp is invaded. A baby niece is killed in her arms and she and Huda live for days on end in a hole in the ground terrified and unable to come out of the place where they’ve taken refuge with little Aisha’s body for fear of the soldiers who will - there is no doubt about it anymore - kill them.
This is but the first of many terrible things that happen to Amal and even though she does get out of occupied Palestine and to the United States to continue her education, the death and killing keep on. Amal, never entirely comfortable in the US, is always drawn back home.
The Battle of Jenin in 2002 is the climax of this story. Amal, home on a visit is trapped in the town with her daughter. It is sufficient to say that things do not turn out well.
Surprisingly, the only part of this book that did not work for me was Amal’s long lost brother – renamed David by the family who raised him as their own. He does not really figure in the story as much as I expected him to. His brother Yousef and Amal do come to know him, but I expected him to have a bigger part in the book.
That said, I certainly enjoyed this book – if “enjoyed” is the proper word for something so sad.
Recommended.
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was to have a sympathetic view while reading this story, Ms. Abulhawa’s fictional Palestinian family, their lives and the things that happened to them, made me sad all over again for these people. And angry. What has happened to the people of Palestine is wrong and the worst bit of it all is that I fear it can never be fixed.Mornings in Jenin is a multi-generational story of a Palestinian family. It ranges over four generations, focusing primarily on Amal the only daughter in the third generation, the child of Dalia and Hasan. Her family, once prosperous farmers in the village of Ein Hod, is driven from their land in 1948 in the Jewish takeover of Palestine, forced to live in a refugee camp at Jenin. In the confusion and terror of the Jewish invasion of their village, a child is lost – taken by a Jewish soldier and given to his wife to bring up as their own son. The baby’s mother, Dalia, gradually loses her mind – the abduction of her baby being just the first blow. Amal is not born yet – born in Jenin some years later, she only knows her baby brother and the family’s lost home through the stories of her family.
Like any child, she does not fully know the truth about their life – that they have nothing, that they are homeless and that the lives they lead are forced upon them by the Israeli forces who watch them continually. She is a child and she is happy playing with her best friend Huda and spending time alone with her father in the early mornings, reading. She knows only poverty and has no idea what they have all lost. Even when her beloved grandfather is gunned down for having the temerity to re-visit their old home in Ein Hod, Amal does not fully comprehend their situation. Then comes the Six Day War in 1967 and for the first time Amal sees killing on a massive scale when her camp is invaded. A baby niece is killed in her arms and she and Huda live for days on end in a hole in the ground terrified and unable to come out of the place where they’ve taken refuge with little Aisha’s body for fear of the soldiers who will - there is no doubt about it anymore - kill them.
This is but the first of many terrible things that happen to Amal and even though she does get out of occupied Palestine and to the United States to continue her education, the death and killing keep on. Amal, never entirely comfortable in the US, is always drawn back home.
The Battle of Jenin in 2002 is the climax of this story. Amal, home on a visit is trapped in the town with her daughter. It is sufficient to say that things do not turn out well.
Surprisingly, the only part of this book that did not work for me was Amal’s long lost brother – renamed David by the family who raised him as their own. He does not really figure in the story as much as I expected him to. His brother Yousef and Amal do come to know him, but I expected him to have a bigger part in the book.
That said, I certainly enjoyed this book – if “enjoyed” is the proper word for something so sad.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member labfs39
I have studied the Holocaust and the culture of Eastern Europe for many years. I accepted that after the Shoah, the Jewish people needed and could not be denied a homeland. I still believe that. But after reading this novel, which reads like a memoir, but is not, I have decided that I must read
Although I have always felt that the conflict was unfair, Palestinians with rocks versus Israelis with rocket launchers; hundreds of Palestinians dead for every Israeli, I have never before commiserated with individual Palestinians as I did with the characters in this book. And it is only by seeing individuals that we can truly humanize a conflict in our minds and perhaps change our behavior.
I read the advanced reader's copy of the book, which clearly needed more editing. I think this book could be exceptional if the author were to refine a bit more her writing style, smoothing out transitions, and flow. Her language is beautiful, it is the mechanics that are distracting. Such a compelling story and beautiful language are sure to win her acclaim.
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both nonfiction about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and more fiction out of Palestine. The line that sticks with me most is that the Palestinians are the ones paying for the Jewish Holocaust. Although I have always felt that the conflict was unfair, Palestinians with rocks versus Israelis with rocket launchers; hundreds of Palestinians dead for every Israeli, I have never before commiserated with individual Palestinians as I did with the characters in this book. And it is only by seeing individuals that we can truly humanize a conflict in our minds and perhaps change our behavior.
I read the advanced reader's copy of the book, which clearly needed more editing. I think this book could be exceptional if the author were to refine a bit more her writing style, smoothing out transitions, and flow. Her language is beautiful, it is the mechanics that are distracting. Such a compelling story and beautiful language are sure to win her acclaim.
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LibraryThing member fadisaba
Mornings In Jenin (Bloomsbury) is a wonderful multi-generational fiction that spans over 60 years. It follows a family from the early 1940's all the way to 2002 in Palestine, Lebanon, the US and Israel.... Though a fiction, all of the historical events are real, making the book a great primer that
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is a fun read as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
Set against the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and with much of the novel taking place in the refugee camp of Jenin, this is a powerful piece of fiction about a girl growing up in the midst of conflicts which started long before she was born and will, still, affect her every day. With a torn family,
In the end, the novel is striking and delicate, exploring the subtleties of a life shadowed by this conflict while still managing to develop believable and engaging characters and storylines. The book is about struggle, survival, and forgiveness, and it forces readers to examine history and contemporary conflict on an individual and personal level that no reader will fail to relate to. More than any other text I've read, nonfiction or fiction, this made the Palestinian-Israeli conflict something that was alive, and not just a distant blur of war.
Simply, this is not a perfect book, but it is necessary and beautiful, and telling. One of those few novels that everyone should read. Absolutely recommended.
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simple desires, and tragedy more familiar than happiness, her life unfolds in the camp, in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and finally in America. While the beginning of the novel is slightly bogged down in history, and it's clear that Abulhawa is struggling to balance history and story in her first novel, the story takes over quickly.In the end, the novel is striking and delicate, exploring the subtleties of a life shadowed by this conflict while still managing to develop believable and engaging characters and storylines. The book is about struggle, survival, and forgiveness, and it forces readers to examine history and contemporary conflict on an individual and personal level that no reader will fail to relate to. More than any other text I've read, nonfiction or fiction, this made the Palestinian-Israeli conflict something that was alive, and not just a distant blur of war.
Simply, this is not a perfect book, but it is necessary and beautiful, and telling. One of those few novels that everyone should read. Absolutely recommended.
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LibraryThing member cougar_c
The Palestinian narration, long since missing in the Western Audience comes alive with this book. This is likely to be a major book club hit that would eventually become a movie.
"Mornings in Jenin" weaves an emotional story around incidents relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is the
"Mornings in Jenin" weaves an emotional story around incidents relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is the
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Palestinian "Exodus" or the Palestinian "Kite Runner" based on your own inclination. Which only shows that it is a book not to be missed! Show Less
LibraryThing member vitalstatistics
If you haven't "got" the Palestinian-Israel conflict from the tit-bits you get in the media, you will get it if you read this book.
Glancing through the reviews, some of the people seem surprised on reading Susan Abulhawa's point of view. I think people have to understand that war refugees do not
Glancing through the reviews, some of the people seem surprised on reading Susan Abulhawa's point of view. I think people have to understand that war refugees do not
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make it to CNN and NPR - hence, their narration comes across as unfamiliar. The important thing is that a conflict cannot be understood till we hear the side of the refugee - which Susan Abulhawa is. Show Less
LibraryThing member JGoto
I have very mixed feelings about Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin. It is well written, and although I found the transitions from first person to third person narrative slightly awkward now and then, the prose is beautiful at times. Many of the characters are fully developed and life-like. Most
“…the guttural silk tones of Arabic rippled through me as I heard the melodic calls and responses of my language. It’s a dance, really. A man at a desk was offered tea as I walked through the metal detectors. He said, ‘Bless your hands’ to the one making the offer, who responded, ‘And your hands, and may Allah keep you always in Grace.’ Calls and responses that dance in the air.”
I have read very little by or about Palestinians. Those books I have read dealt mostly with abused women. The scenes in Mornings in Jenin are very different. For the most part, the women are loved and respected by the men in their families. Reading details of Palestinian hardships has certainly made me more sensitive to their plight.
The problem I have with the book is its integrity as a work of historical fiction. According to Abulhawa’s account of the formation of Israel, the Zionist Jews kicked out the British and unilaterally declared Palestine to be Israel, a Jewish State. My first thought is: Wait a minute. What about the League of Nations mandate to partition Palestine? The Arab nations opposed the move, but the other nations approved it. I understand that this was not a happy solution for Palestinians, but in an historical account, it certainly deserves mention. Abulhawa then goes on to describe how the Jews immediately went on a rampage to terrorize and slaughter unsuspecting Palestinian villagers, who hoped only for a peaceful co-existence. Wait a minute, I think. Weren’t the Jews too busy to do that? After all, they day after establishing the State of Israel, they were attacked by five neighboring Arab nations. Could they really have gone off to randomly murder Palestinians for no reason? I have my doubts. I also take exception to the fact that she refers to Jews as terrorists and the Arabic man who blew up a Jerusalem café as a martyr.
So in the end, I can’t recommend this book to my friends. Rather than urging readers to see issues from all sides, it is just one more one-sided and over simplified account of a complicated and heartbreaking situation.
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impressive to me is the sense of time and place that Abulhawa has created. She tells how the narrator, Amal, finds the simple English “Thank you” cold and inadequate in America. Amal returns to Lebanon after seven years abroad and describes her feelings.“…the guttural silk tones of Arabic rippled through me as I heard the melodic calls and responses of my language. It’s a dance, really. A man at a desk was offered tea as I walked through the metal detectors. He said, ‘Bless your hands’ to the one making the offer, who responded, ‘And your hands, and may Allah keep you always in Grace.’ Calls and responses that dance in the air.”
I have read very little by or about Palestinians. Those books I have read dealt mostly with abused women. The scenes in Mornings in Jenin are very different. For the most part, the women are loved and respected by the men in their families. Reading details of Palestinian hardships has certainly made me more sensitive to their plight.
The problem I have with the book is its integrity as a work of historical fiction. According to Abulhawa’s account of the formation of Israel, the Zionist Jews kicked out the British and unilaterally declared Palestine to be Israel, a Jewish State. My first thought is: Wait a minute. What about the League of Nations mandate to partition Palestine? The Arab nations opposed the move, but the other nations approved it. I understand that this was not a happy solution for Palestinians, but in an historical account, it certainly deserves mention. Abulhawa then goes on to describe how the Jews immediately went on a rampage to terrorize and slaughter unsuspecting Palestinian villagers, who hoped only for a peaceful co-existence. Wait a minute, I think. Weren’t the Jews too busy to do that? After all, they day after establishing the State of Israel, they were attacked by five neighboring Arab nations. Could they really have gone off to randomly murder Palestinians for no reason? I have my doubts. I also take exception to the fact that she refers to Jews as terrorists and the Arabic man who blew up a Jerusalem café as a martyr.
So in the end, I can’t recommend this book to my friends. Rather than urging readers to see issues from all sides, it is just one more one-sided and over simplified account of a complicated and heartbreaking situation.
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LibraryThing member hemlokgang
Reading this intense story of life within a Palestinian refugee camp and the lasting impact on an entire people pulled me out of the newspapers and into real life. It challenged my previous political leanings as well. I just do not know how anyone endures the kind of fear and loss that so many
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human beings have suffered in life. Why must people continue to destroy families like this? I know it is not a new question, yet I consider it with renewed fervor after reading this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Litfan
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off:” one of my favorite quotes, from Gloria Steinem, aptly captures the experience of reading “Mornings in Jenin.” As someone who grew up with westernized versions of history, I’m ashamed to admit I’d been relatively clueless
The novel covers most of the 20th century and into the 21st through the eyes of one Palestinian family, and spans Palestine, Israel and America as the family members struggle to find safety. A beautiful portrait is painted of a family rich in history, tradition, and devout faith. But war touches each generation, leaving none unscathed. The author captures the psychological terror of living through war, especially as it looks to children. The prose of the novel is just exquisite. While the stories are heart-wrenching, there is also a strong note of hope and resilience that resonates throughout the novel. Abulhawa does an incredible job of showing the reader what it has meant to be a Palestinian in the last century, and through her fictional characters, she presents a stunning truth that many of our history books, sadly, have not. Very highly recommended.
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about the Palestinian experience. This novel reached inside me, challenged everything I thought I knew, and broke my heart. I’ve read a handful of books in my life that were truly mind-altering experiences, and this was one of them. I finished the book last week and it’s still haunting me.The novel covers most of the 20th century and into the 21st through the eyes of one Palestinian family, and spans Palestine, Israel and America as the family members struggle to find safety. A beautiful portrait is painted of a family rich in history, tradition, and devout faith. But war touches each generation, leaving none unscathed. The author captures the psychological terror of living through war, especially as it looks to children. The prose of the novel is just exquisite. While the stories are heart-wrenching, there is also a strong note of hope and resilience that resonates throughout the novel. Abulhawa does an incredible job of showing the reader what it has meant to be a Palestinian in the last century, and through her fictional characters, she presents a stunning truth that many of our history books, sadly, have not. Very highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member keninipswich
Like many of the books that are set during this time and place, this book sways so far in one political direction that it makes the story difficult to read and accept. Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians were that perfect before the conflict.
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa was both a difficult book to read and a difficult book to write a review on. This was one of the most emotional reads I’ve had in a very long time. This is the story of the Palestine refugees told in a way that I personally had never known. This is a story of
The story of one Palestinian family from the 1940’s through to 2003 was a story of hardship, war and hatred. I was surprised and angry to read of such horrible acts that were committed by the same people who were mistreated and murdered by the Nazis. I know this book is probably more than a little one-sided and I need to balance my views by reading something from the Israeli point of view, but the message I take from Mornings In Jenin is that violence begets violence in a never ending cycle.
Both heart and gut-wrenching, Mornings In Jenin is a powerful read that resonated with me and left me feeling a sense of both loss and guilt. A moving story that takes one behind the headlines and gives us a personal look at the cost of disassembling a nation.
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loss. The characters face the loss of their land, the loss of their dignity and the loss of their lives. The author opened my eyes to an event that has been on the world stage for a generation, yet one I really knew very little about. The story of one Palestinian family from the 1940’s through to 2003 was a story of hardship, war and hatred. I was surprised and angry to read of such horrible acts that were committed by the same people who were mistreated and murdered by the Nazis. I know this book is probably more than a little one-sided and I need to balance my views by reading something from the Israeli point of view, but the message I take from Mornings In Jenin is that violence begets violence in a never ending cycle.
Both heart and gut-wrenching, Mornings In Jenin is a powerful read that resonated with me and left me feeling a sense of both loss and guilt. A moving story that takes one behind the headlines and gives us a personal look at the cost of disassembling a nation.
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LibraryThing member polarbear123
This book was always going to polarise opinion as I have just seen the proof of from reading the other reviews. If you know your history of the Arab-Israeli conflict there will be no surprises here really. Sometimes the reminiscences of characters can be a little too flowery perhaps, however the
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story kept turning over nicely and it was a great attempt at four generations in one 300 odd page book. It is difficult to sympathise with the cause of Zionist Israelis the more you learn about this conflict and no I don't think you have to be a HAMS or terrorist supporter to like this novel. If you can't admit that Israel has commited crimes against many Palestinia people then you don't really know much about the conflict probably. Sad to say but it is true. A subject that needs to be explored by bothe writer and reader in more detail. Show Less
LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
This is the story of several generations of a Palestinian family, told from the perspective of a woman born in the Jenin refugee camp in 1955. Existence is precarious, and at times there seems to be enough loss to shatter any threads of hope, and yet the family soldiers on.
When I read the book, I
Going into this novel, I didn't know much about the conflict, and after reading it, I find myself wanting to learn more -- from both sides. I've since heard that the travesties of Jenin caused the Israeli army to approach warfare differently (allowing people to leave before bombing villages, by letting people know a few days in advance where they were targeting)... so as horrifying as the things were that happened here, people learned from it and changed their actions because of it.
But back to the novel. You can't read this novel quickly, because it grips your heart and will cause you to ache for the characters inside. Some sections will require large wads of tissues, and you may need to walk away for a bit -- the images can become that horrifying, the loss that deep.
In the end, it's a novel from a rare perspective, and the author has done an incredible job, helping us see this conflict through fresh eyes. If it isn't on your reading list, it should be. Then you should pass it on to others, so they too can understand what happened in Jenin.
When I read the book, I
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intended to take some time to think about what I'd read before writing a review. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and while I regret not sitting down to put thoughts into words sooner, the very fact that certain images and emotions evoked by this novel feel almost as strong now as they did when I turned the last page... well, that tells me that this is a book that makes a real difference in how we perceive the Palestinian-Israeli conflict of the time.Going into this novel, I didn't know much about the conflict, and after reading it, I find myself wanting to learn more -- from both sides. I've since heard that the travesties of Jenin caused the Israeli army to approach warfare differently (allowing people to leave before bombing villages, by letting people know a few days in advance where they were targeting)... so as horrifying as the things were that happened here, people learned from it and changed their actions because of it.
But back to the novel. You can't read this novel quickly, because it grips your heart and will cause you to ache for the characters inside. Some sections will require large wads of tissues, and you may need to walk away for a bit -- the images can become that horrifying, the loss that deep.
In the end, it's a novel from a rare perspective, and the author has done an incredible job, helping us see this conflict through fresh eyes. If it isn't on your reading list, it should be. Then you should pass it on to others, so they too can understand what happened in Jenin.
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LibraryThing member MarysGirl
Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa is many things. In summary, it's the story of one family's struggle and survival through over sixty years of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, carrying us from the refugee camp of Jenin to Jerusalem to Lebanon and the anonymity of America. A patriarch dies
Mornings in Jenin is a love story. It's the story of four generations of one family's love for each other through the trials of dispossession, diaspora and death. A father's love provides the inspiration for his children to seek education in spite of huge odds. A mother's love provides the strength to endure horrible loss. A husband's love turns him from the path of revenge and destruction. A brother's longing for love leads him on a life-long journey for acceptance. One character describes the depth of their love like this:
"It is the kind of love you can know only if you have felt the intense hunger that makes your body eat itself at night. The kind you know only after life shields you from falling bombs or bullets passing through your body. It is the love that dives naked toward infinity's reach. I think it is where God lives."
Mornings in Jenin is also a horror story. Not in the classic sense of vampires, zombies or mysterious slashers, but in the sense of everyday horrific acts "ordinary" humans do to one another that populates our news: kidnapping children, political rape, murder and torture. This book slashes through the thin veneer of fiction surrounding the "Palestinian problem" in the Middle East and shows us the stark reality of a people dispossessed. It's not a new story; humans have been killing each other for land and resources from the dawn of time. But told through the lives of individuals, this inhumanity is a visceral punch in the gut, stealing your breath, and leaving you in tears.
Mornings in Jenin is a political statement. The author is the daughter of Palestinian refugees and grew up in the US, but she's worked in the camps and visited Jenin shortly after the 2002 Israeli invasion of the camp. It was that experience, and subsequent cover-up of the massacre there, that led her to write this novel. She makes little effort to be "balanced" or present the "Israeli side" because that version is what is front and center in Western media. Her purpose is to correct the imbalance; to tell the "Palestinian side" -- which is generally ignored in the mainstream -- through literature. It is relentlessly sad with a slim hope for change at the end.
Ultimately, Mornings in Jenin is a wonderful piece of literature about an enormously difficult subject. The writer obviously grew up reading poetry. The sentences and paragraphs sing with a poetic rhythm and interesting choice of words. I highly recommend this book, but beware it is an emotional rollercoaster.
Writer's nit pick: I would have given it five stars except for (what I found) the author's annoying habit of switching person and point of view. The first section starts with an omniscient narrator to set the background story of the first generation and diaspora. The second section starts with first person reminiscences of the granddaughter, which shook me out of the story for a moment trying to figure out who is the narrator. The author uses this technique several times in the book and each time it took me a moment to reorient. I suppose this use of the craft could be called experimental, but I find anything that takes me out of the story distracting.
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returning to his stolen farm, a baby is taken from his Arab family and raised by survivors of the holocaust, a father and daughter read together in the early dawn of a refugee camp dreaming of a brighter future, two girls play together under the guns of an occupying army forming a life-long friendship, a young women raises her daughter – alone – in the safety of America but returns to the horrors of war.Mornings in Jenin is a love story. It's the story of four generations of one family's love for each other through the trials of dispossession, diaspora and death. A father's love provides the inspiration for his children to seek education in spite of huge odds. A mother's love provides the strength to endure horrible loss. A husband's love turns him from the path of revenge and destruction. A brother's longing for love leads him on a life-long journey for acceptance. One character describes the depth of their love like this:
"It is the kind of love you can know only if you have felt the intense hunger that makes your body eat itself at night. The kind you know only after life shields you from falling bombs or bullets passing through your body. It is the love that dives naked toward infinity's reach. I think it is where God lives."
Mornings in Jenin is also a horror story. Not in the classic sense of vampires, zombies or mysterious slashers, but in the sense of everyday horrific acts "ordinary" humans do to one another that populates our news: kidnapping children, political rape, murder and torture. This book slashes through the thin veneer of fiction surrounding the "Palestinian problem" in the Middle East and shows us the stark reality of a people dispossessed. It's not a new story; humans have been killing each other for land and resources from the dawn of time. But told through the lives of individuals, this inhumanity is a visceral punch in the gut, stealing your breath, and leaving you in tears.
Mornings in Jenin is a political statement. The author is the daughter of Palestinian refugees and grew up in the US, but she's worked in the camps and visited Jenin shortly after the 2002 Israeli invasion of the camp. It was that experience, and subsequent cover-up of the massacre there, that led her to write this novel. She makes little effort to be "balanced" or present the "Israeli side" because that version is what is front and center in Western media. Her purpose is to correct the imbalance; to tell the "Palestinian side" -- which is generally ignored in the mainstream -- through literature. It is relentlessly sad with a slim hope for change at the end.
Ultimately, Mornings in Jenin is a wonderful piece of literature about an enormously difficult subject. The writer obviously grew up reading poetry. The sentences and paragraphs sing with a poetic rhythm and interesting choice of words. I highly recommend this book, but beware it is an emotional rollercoaster.
Writer's nit pick: I would have given it five stars except for (what I found) the author's annoying habit of switching person and point of view. The first section starts with an omniscient narrator to set the background story of the first generation and diaspora. The second section starts with first person reminiscences of the granddaughter, which shook me out of the story for a moment trying to figure out who is the narrator. The author uses this technique several times in the book and each time it took me a moment to reorient. I suppose this use of the craft could be called experimental, but I find anything that takes me out of the story distracting.
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LibraryThing member khuggard
I admit to not being well-versed about the Israeli-Palestine conflict. And of course, much of what I read has been highly biased to the Israeli point of view. So it was quite literally jarring to read this book written from the point of view of Palestinians in that conflict. It was a stark reminder
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that there are at least two perspectives to every conflict and that behind every political drama there are real human lives. But beyond being a lesson in conflict, his book was a well-written and moving romance, family saga, and work of historical fiction. Well worth reading and highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member DubaiReader
An excellent introduction to the Palestinian / Israeli conflict.
I had previously read a couple of books set in Palestine, dealing with the effect of the invasion of Israel into Palestinian lands. Both left me with several questions. I was really impressed with Mornings in Jenin because it filled
The fact that the author was born in a refugee camp gives her a hands-on view of events from the Palestinian point of view. Whilst I recognise that this will, necessarily, be a biased view, there are books available written from the other side of the fence that also describe the Israeli experience. It must be almost impossible to write a book on this subject that will be impartial.
The family in the novel are from El-Hod, originally in Palestine; they are displaced from their olive farm in 1948. The story is narrated by Amal, the young daughter of the Abulheja family, and continues over 4 generations of the same family. The strong hope for the future, in spite of the hardships, is evident, as well as the effects on youngsters, of life lived entierly in times of war.
Whilst not an easy read, I hope this will become a popular book, spreading the plight of the Palestinians in the West where the Israelis are generally thought to be the 'good-guys'.
I had previously read a couple of books set in Palestine, dealing with the effect of the invasion of Israel into Palestinian lands. Both left me with several questions. I was really impressed with Mornings in Jenin because it filled
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in the gaps in my knowledge with such ease, whilst providing an excellent narrative and a rewarding read.The fact that the author was born in a refugee camp gives her a hands-on view of events from the Palestinian point of view. Whilst I recognise that this will, necessarily, be a biased view, there are books available written from the other side of the fence that also describe the Israeli experience. It must be almost impossible to write a book on this subject that will be impartial.
The family in the novel are from El-Hod, originally in Palestine; they are displaced from their olive farm in 1948. The story is narrated by Amal, the young daughter of the Abulheja family, and continues over 4 generations of the same family. The strong hope for the future, in spite of the hardships, is evident, as well as the effects on youngsters, of life lived entierly in times of war.
Whilst not an easy read, I hope this will become a popular book, spreading the plight of the Palestinians in the West where the Israelis are generally thought to be the 'good-guys'.
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LibraryThing member suesbooks
This book was an easy read, yet I had a feeling for some of the characters. I know this is the perception of the author, and much of it may be true. However, because of some incorrect information, it's hard to know how much of the story was based on fact. What's most important, is that there are
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many people who believe these perceptions, and the value of their lives must be respected. This did give me a real feeling for people who are living a displaced life. I was also upset by the fact that the Israelis were blamed for the massacre in Shatila. Yes, they allowed the Lebanese to enter, but the Israelis did not commit the slaughter. Show Less
LibraryThing member libraryclerk
A most moving story that touches the heart strings. Takes place 1948 to 2002 in Jenin, Palestine and other various places. About a family who struggles with loss as Palestine struggles with its losses to Israel. “The story of one family in an obscure village, visited one day by a history that was
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not its own, and forever trapped by longing between roots and soil. It was a tale of war, its chilling, burning, and chilling-again fire. Of furious love and a suicide bomber. Of a girl who escaped her destiny to become a word, drained of its meaning. Of grown children sifting through the madness to find their relevance. Of a truth that pushed its way through lies, emerging fro a crack, a scar, in a man’s face”(page 285). Show Less
LibraryThing member susiesharp
This was the first book I’ve read about the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict. I’ve read quite a few books about the Middle East but they have mostly been about the taliban, so this was new territory for me.
This story is about a Palestinian family spanning from 1941-2002. It is told from different
their home and put into refugee camps in Jenin life gets worse and worse. They are terrorized and brutalized. This was a hard story to read, so many children, dead, beaten, shot, and orphaned.
The only thing I knew about this “Conflict”/War is what I’ve seen on the news and I have known for awhile that the news isn’t the whole story so it was good to see the other side of this story.
This book reads like non-fiction although its fiction it as made me curious enough to investigate further and read some of the books the author suggests at the end.
All in all a powerful very heartbreaking read I would recommend to anyone who likes the books written by Khaled Hosseini.
This story is about a Palestinian family spanning from 1941-2002. It is told from different
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viewpoints from people in the Abulheja family. It is a heartbreaking and powerful story from when they are forced from their home and put into refugee camps in Jenin life gets worse and worse. They are terrorized and brutalized. This was a hard story to read, so many children, dead, beaten, shot, and orphaned.
The only thing I knew about this “Conflict”/War is what I’ve seen on the news and I have known for awhile that the news isn’t the whole story so it was good to see the other side of this story.
This book reads like non-fiction although its fiction it as made me curious enough to investigate further and read some of the books the author suggests at the end.
All in all a powerful very heartbreaking read I would recommend to anyone who likes the books written by Khaled Hosseini.
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LibraryThing member LoisCK
Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa is the story of generations of one Palestinian family beginning in 1941 and concluding in 2002. For the most part it follows the life of Amal, born and raised in a refugee camp after her family is driven from their ancestral lands in Palestine due to the creation
Some will criticize the book as being one-sided and not portraying any sympathy to Israel and the Jewish plight. But the author never promised to give a balanced account; she wanted to show what the view was like from her side which included no empathy with the Jews and others who suffered during the Holocaust.
The author’s style takes some getting used to as she changes voices periodically from first to third to first person without much success. She is best when she describes very private and personal scenes – when Amal’s father reads to her in the morning in the Jenin camp, when Amal allows herself to fall in love with Majid, and when Amal and her brother and sister-in-law interact as their families grow.
For a window into life in a Palestinian refugee camp this book provides one view.
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of the state of Israel in 1948. The family suffers stolen children, abject poverty, loss of dignity, death, betrayal, and physical and mental illness as they face extreme violence from Israeli settlers and react with their own hatred and violence. The anger and desolation is interrupted briefly with touching scenes of familial love and caring but for the most part the story evokes only feelings of extreme sadness and pain. I found myself just wanting it to end.Some will criticize the book as being one-sided and not portraying any sympathy to Israel and the Jewish plight. But the author never promised to give a balanced account; she wanted to show what the view was like from her side which included no empathy with the Jews and others who suffered during the Holocaust.
The author’s style takes some getting used to as she changes voices periodically from first to third to first person without much success. She is best when she describes very private and personal scenes – when Amal’s father reads to her in the morning in the Jenin camp, when Amal allows herself to fall in love with Majid, and when Amal and her brother and sister-in-law interact as their families grow.
For a window into life in a Palestinian refugee camp this book provides one view.
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LibraryThing member Soniamarie
What breeds terrorism? What makes a happy family full of love for each other turn to desperate and extreme measures? How much hate and brutality can a group of people face before they snap? How much loss does one man suffer before he straps a bomb to himself? This story can answer those
This novel follows a family thru four generations. The family begins in a time of love and peace on a land full of olives and ends with terrorism, war, and mass murder. After World War 2, Jews began migrating to Israel and Muslims welcomed them and they lived side by side in peace. But the Jews decided they wanted more and one by one, ran each Muslim family off the land that had been theirs for generations, using brutality and guns to do so. Thus, it begins... The Muslims retaliate, the Jews retaliate, and this family is in the middle of it all as they seek refuge in Jenin. Men are killed, babies are stolen, girls are shot, education is stopped, a curfew is enforced, and an Arab people are exiled on their own land. This doesn't stop them from loving tho. They marry, they have children, and keep hoping they will one day have their real homes back. And some of their children begin to join the Arab army. Some also take to more exteme measures and after reading of their abuse, who can blame them? The story is really quite harrowing at times and I was very moved. I really got to know the characters and felt what they felt. I could understand Dalia's madness, Yousef's anger, Amal's stubborn chin.
Highly recommended. I have chosen not to reveal much of the story line for fear of giving away something relevant. The only reason this book doesn't get a five star from me is at times it grew confusing. In one sentence, Dalia is referred to as Dalia. The next sentence refers to her as Um Yousef. I know that means "mother of Yousef" because I have read that somewhere before, but if I had not known that, I would've been scratching my head. I prefer a name be chosed and used throughout. Also, the narratives switch quite suddenly person to person and at times from third to first person.
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questions.This novel follows a family thru four generations. The family begins in a time of love and peace on a land full of olives and ends with terrorism, war, and mass murder. After World War 2, Jews began migrating to Israel and Muslims welcomed them and they lived side by side in peace. But the Jews decided they wanted more and one by one, ran each Muslim family off the land that had been theirs for generations, using brutality and guns to do so. Thus, it begins... The Muslims retaliate, the Jews retaliate, and this family is in the middle of it all as they seek refuge in Jenin. Men are killed, babies are stolen, girls are shot, education is stopped, a curfew is enforced, and an Arab people are exiled on their own land. This doesn't stop them from loving tho. They marry, they have children, and keep hoping they will one day have their real homes back. And some of their children begin to join the Arab army. Some also take to more exteme measures and after reading of their abuse, who can blame them? The story is really quite harrowing at times and I was very moved. I really got to know the characters and felt what they felt. I could understand Dalia's madness, Yousef's anger, Amal's stubborn chin.
Highly recommended. I have chosen not to reveal much of the story line for fear of giving away something relevant. The only reason this book doesn't get a five star from me is at times it grew confusing. In one sentence, Dalia is referred to as Dalia. The next sentence refers to her as Um Yousef. I know that means "mother of Yousef" because I have read that somewhere before, but if I had not known that, I would've been scratching my head. I prefer a name be chosed and used throughout. Also, the narratives switch quite suddenly person to person and at times from third to first person.
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LibraryThing member lyncos
Mornings in Jenin is an extraordinary novel. In May 1948, the Jewish state of Israel is proclaimed and the residents of Ein Hod are forcibly moved to Jenin refugee camp where Amal is born. Amal is the very bright grandaughter of the family and through her eyes we experience the events of four
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generations of her family. Amal tells of her family's removal from their ancestral olive farm in Ein Hod, their suffering and indignities as refugees in Jenin. She tells the story of her family: one brother, stolen and who becomes an Israeli soldier; the other brother who sacrifices everything for the Palestinian cause; she tells of her grandparents and parents and their drama and tragedy. Amal tells her own story of childhood, marriage, parenthood - her travels, loss, friendship and love. It was an eye opening, compelling human story told from the Palestinian point of view. It made me think about what I know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It made me think and re-think, it made me wonder and it made me want to kow more. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sarij
What I write pales in comparison to what you will find in the writing style and story within the pages of this book. If I could adequately describe how this book made me feel, I still would not do the book justice.
Mornings in Jenin is the story of four generations of Palestinians living through
I asked to review this particular book because I have always questioned the war between Israel and Palestine. I am torn between understanding the need for a permanent homeland after living through the horrors of WW2 and the way in which the country of Isreal was settled. When I was younger I would ask my elders to explain the actions of the two nations but try as they might, none could truly explain both sides. The issue of the two nations within one setting is very polarizing. I would hear about the Palestine terrorist but not the people. As a result I know little about the human story of Palestinians and thought this book may offer some insight into their world.
Abulhawa’s writing style is nothing short of amazing. Though this book is heartbreaking at every turn Abulhawa’s words sing out. Yes, they sing out and you as a reader are caught up in her song. Never mind that at times the pain becomes unbearable, the song of her words compel you the reader to stay with her. A little past half way I wanted to give up; there was too much death and heartache, but I stuck with it as the story needed to be told. As much as it hurt to hear it, this story does need to be told. We need to hear about the aftermaths of war. Not because we need to take one side or the other, but because we should pause before we pick a side. Abulhawa shows us that war scorches the lives of those who lay in the path of triumph. No one really wins in war expect death and pain as Abulhawa so vividly tells us.
After finishing the book I sat for a moment trying to collect my thoughts. A part of me disliked having to deal with the emotions and questions that washed over me while another part was so taken by the character and lives in Mornings in Jenin I was almost sad to have come to the end of the tale. For a few moments I was not sure if I could recommend this book or not as it is so full of loss but it dawned on me that one of the reasons I kept reading was because it opened my eyes to what real sadness and pain are. Sometimes we Americans get so caught up in our daily drama we tend to forget we are blessed, even when we are struggling. Mornings in Jenin will make you think, question and maybe cry. It is a testament to a people that before now had no voice. I highly recommend this book.
Mornings in Jenin is the story of four generations of Palestinians living through
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the birth of Israel and the never ending war that follows. The story centers on Amal, a women who is born in a refugee camp. Her story is one of loss, love and redemption. I asked to review this particular book because I have always questioned the war between Israel and Palestine. I am torn between understanding the need for a permanent homeland after living through the horrors of WW2 and the way in which the country of Isreal was settled. When I was younger I would ask my elders to explain the actions of the two nations but try as they might, none could truly explain both sides. The issue of the two nations within one setting is very polarizing. I would hear about the Palestine terrorist but not the people. As a result I know little about the human story of Palestinians and thought this book may offer some insight into their world.
Abulhawa’s writing style is nothing short of amazing. Though this book is heartbreaking at every turn Abulhawa’s words sing out. Yes, they sing out and you as a reader are caught up in her song. Never mind that at times the pain becomes unbearable, the song of her words compel you the reader to stay with her. A little past half way I wanted to give up; there was too much death and heartache, but I stuck with it as the story needed to be told. As much as it hurt to hear it, this story does need to be told. We need to hear about the aftermaths of war. Not because we need to take one side or the other, but because we should pause before we pick a side. Abulhawa shows us that war scorches the lives of those who lay in the path of triumph. No one really wins in war expect death and pain as Abulhawa so vividly tells us.
After finishing the book I sat for a moment trying to collect my thoughts. A part of me disliked having to deal with the emotions and questions that washed over me while another part was so taken by the character and lives in Mornings in Jenin I was almost sad to have come to the end of the tale. For a few moments I was not sure if I could recommend this book or not as it is so full of loss but it dawned on me that one of the reasons I kept reading was because it opened my eyes to what real sadness and pain are. Sometimes we Americans get so caught up in our daily drama we tend to forget we are blessed, even when we are struggling. Mornings in Jenin will make you think, question and maybe cry. It is a testament to a people that before now had no voice. I highly recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member swelteringelk
I received this book a few months back as an early reviewer, but with my library school classes, just got around to reviewing it. This book was absolutely amazing. Typically, I am able to figure out much of what will happen in a book by halfway through, but Mornings in Jenin kept me interested and
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guessing what would happen next until the end. It tells the story of a Palestinian family and what happens to them as Israel is created. This book will leave you speechless and crying with the different perspective it puts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original publication date
2006
Physical description
317 p.; 20 inches
ISBN
1408813556 / 9781408813553