In My Mother's Footsteps: A Palestinian Refugee Returns Home
- Downloads：5953
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-11 17:21:16
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Mona Hajjar Halaby
- ISBN：B08ZNDVHTJ
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Sue Hayward-Ault
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My thanks to #NetGalley and #Thread publishers for the opportunity to review this audio book。A heartbreaking story brought to life by a superb narrative。 A lesson on modern conflict resolution that begins at an early age sprinkled with historical and cultural content。On occasions I found the pace very pedestrian but still enjoyable。
Karen
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This is a beautifully written， emotional and enlightening true story。 I loved reading about Mona’s year in Palestine， teaching conflict resolution in a school， and following her mother’s footsteps hoping to find the home she had to flee。 Her mother’s letters telling her story showed her resilience as well as sadness。 I really felt for the families forced to flee Palestine， leaving their homes behind。 The author expressed their grief and sorrow so eloquently。 The phrase ‘Refugees are like seeds t This is a beautifully written， emotional and enlightening true story。 I loved reading about Mona’s year in Palestine， teaching conflict resolution in a school， and following her mother’s footsteps hoping to find the home she had to flee。 Her mother’s letters telling her story showed her resilience as well as sadness。 I really felt for the families forced to flee Palestine， leaving their homes behind。 The author expressed their grief and sorrow so eloquently。 The phrase ‘Refugees are like seeds that scatter in the wind， and land in different soils that become their reluctant homes’ is so poignant and expressive。 A must read， if， like me， you want to understand the Israeli/Gazza conflict a little more。 。。。more
Eunice R
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A coin has two sides。This audiobook addresses the Palestinian side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has afflicted the peoples of that region since 1948， until today。 The true story of a Catholic Palestinian refugee woman and her displaced journey which， for her， turned out better than for most refugees。 Her daughter， Mona， the author， retraces her Mother's wanderings， and goes back to Palestine， even staying there at one point for the better part of a year。 She endured check points and c A coin has two sides。This audiobook addresses the Palestinian side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has afflicted the peoples of that region since 1948， until today。 The true story of a Catholic Palestinian refugee woman and her displaced journey which， for her， turned out better than for most refugees。 Her daughter， Mona， the author， retraces her Mother's wanderings， and goes back to Palestine， even staying there at one point for the better part of a year。 She endured check points and curfews， and other injustices but those were muted compared to her Palestinian counterparts due to her American passport。 Here she taught traumatized Palestinian school children who had witnessed violence since they'd been knee-high to grasshoppers。 She had come to help mitigate some of that by teaching more peaceful ways to resolve conflicts even among their childish selves。How much was suffered and lost by the Palestinians？ How much fear can a person live with？ How much violence is still perpetuated？ Yet there is resilience in those people which shines out in community。 The script is rather intense。 It's controversial and you may go spinning into spirals of emotional convolutions。 Take your time to listen。 Feel the pathos。Readjust your perceptions and say， as author Mona herself shared from her school-going days， and repeat， "I am a human being。" Change it slightly to， "We are human beings" whether Israeli， Palestinian， or from wherever; one is still a human being and therefore to be respected。 Have compassion。 This must NOT be ignored。 ~Eunice C。， Reviewer/Blogger~ July 2021Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy given from the publisher。 。。。more
SujaKest
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I have always been intrigued， confused， upset and sad about the clashes and aftermath of all the disturbances that happen between Israel and Palestine。 It hits you hard when you see kids dying in the shelling， people losing homes and near and dear ones。 One of the clashes that happened in the recent times killed a mom and her 4 kids when they were visiting their relatives。 The youngest child was pulled from the rubble and was handed over to his dad。 It was so clear from the dad's interview that I have always been intrigued， confused， upset and sad about the clashes and aftermath of all the disturbances that happen between Israel and Palestine。 It hits you hard when you see kids dying in the shelling， people losing homes and near and dear ones。 One of the clashes that happened in the recent times killed a mom and her 4 kids when they were visiting their relatives。 The youngest child was pulled from the rubble and was handed over to his dad。 It was so clear from the dad's interview that the reunion was bitter sweet。 Would he mourn his dead wife and 4 kids or be happy about getting back one kid。 I was extremely sad and said a silent prayer for the family 😔。 I sincerely hope that both sides come to an agreement soon and the living conditions will improve for everybody in the area。This book was wonderfully reviewed by my friend Roshni and her recommendation came at the right time。 I was yearning to know more about the history of the war and what started this "mess" and this book seemed to be like a right starting point。 The Author Mona Hajjar Halaby as rightly says “Identity is where your heart lies” can be felt throughout the book。 Inspite of the rich experience of life she has had being in many different countries you will feel the love that she has for her “motherland”。 She has been pretty good at providing the dates and times of Nakba and also puts in a good historical background。 This helps a newbie like me to understand the background better。 The whole book is her life experience when she was given a great opportunity to train the teachers at the RFS school in Ramallah。 She goes on documenting tidbits and observations about her life， her roots， her anger， fear everything from 2006 to 2008 when she was working as conflict resolution teacher at the school。 One of the best part of the book is her mother’s letters。 It really added a great charm and importance to the subject。 Few places in the book I felt the authors opinion or observation was little far fetched but hey， I am not going to judge her for that。 It just showed her undying love for her identity。 All in all， I would say it’s a very good book ！ I loved it。 The organization of the content is very good too。I am extremely thankful to Netgalley for providing me a ARC for this book 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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I really do enjoy reading memoirs because they allow me to learn about someone else’s life。 Halaby’s family is rooted in Palestine and the Middle East。 Her story， which primarily focuses on her stays in Palestine， hones in on her mother’s past。 She intersperses her visits with flashbacks of her mother’s story。 The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a contentious one。 From reading Halaby’s perspective I learned more about her family’s situation that thousands of Palestinians endured。 It’s a sobering I really do enjoy reading memoirs because they allow me to learn about someone else’s life。 Halaby’s family is rooted in Palestine and the Middle East。 Her story， which primarily focuses on her stays in Palestine， hones in on her mother’s past。 She intersperses her visits with flashbacks of her mother’s story。 The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a contentious one。 From reading Halaby’s perspective I learned more about her family’s situation that thousands of Palestinians endured。 It’s a sobering history。 The part I liked the best was when her mother got to visit Jerusalem and visit places that were so dear to her。 Witnessing that， vicariously through reading it， was poignant。 Thanks to Thread Books and NetGalley for the early read。 。。。more
Samantha
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Thank you to NetGalley， Thread Books and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to， and review an ARC of In my Mother's Footsteps， written by Mona Hajjar Halaby and narrated by Lameece Issaq。Halaby's mother had to leave her home in Palestine in 1948 during the Arab-Israeli war， firstly living in Egypt and then in Geneva， Switzerland。 Halaby herself， then met her husband-to-be in Geneva and they moved to California where they made their life。 As their children left home and were leading t Thank you to NetGalley， Thread Books and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to， and review an ARC of In my Mother's Footsteps， written by Mona Hajjar Halaby and narrated by Lameece Issaq。Halaby's mother had to leave her home in Palestine in 1948 during the Arab-Israeli war， firstly living in Egypt and then in Geneva， Switzerland。 Halaby herself， then met her husband-to-be in Geneva and they moved to California where they made their life。 As their children left home and were leading their own lives， Mona jumped at an opportunity to spend a year in Ramallah， Palestine， teaching Conflict Resolution in a local school。 Throughout her time there， Mona kept a journal of her day-to-day life， her integration with the children and her travels through her mother's homeland， visiting places that her mother was telling her about in her regular letters to her daughter。 As the months go on， Mona's mother and father make the long journey from Geneva to visit her in Ramallah and undertake a journey of their own。I have no knowledge or understanding of any of the issues in Israel or Palestine and whilst I appreciate this is only one person's story， it has made me keen to discover more。 Many of the stories of Mona's mother's early life was thought-provoking and at times。 heart-breaking and does make you wonder what sort of a world we live in。The author gave us such vivid descriptions of the places she visited throughout her year in Ramallah that it was easy to visualise in your mind as she travelled throughout the country。 Using her mother's letters in the book also brought the stories to life and it did make me feel sadness and despair at the things her mother experienced during her life。Lameece Issaq as the narrator did the story justice and I forgot at times that it wasn't the author speaking。 She brought feelings and emotion into an already emotive subject。I would recommend this story to anyone who has an interest in the Middle East and the history involved and although only a singular viewpoint it did tug at the heartstrings。 。。。more
Marti Leimbach
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AUDIOBOOKBeautifully narrated by Lameece Issaq， Mona Hajjar Halaby’s memoir， IN MY MOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS， offers a heartfelt account of Halaby’s feelings about her mother’s homeland， Palestine， a place her mother left during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948， not by choice。 It offers a compassionate perspective of displacement， not only of Halaby's mother but also other Palestinians。 This thoughtful rendering shows the struggle of the Palestinian people， the impact of present， and unbearable， living con AUDIOBOOKBeautifully narrated by Lameece Issaq， Mona Hajjar Halaby’s memoir， IN MY MOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS， offers a heartfelt account of Halaby’s feelings about her mother’s homeland， Palestine， a place her mother left during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948， not by choice。 It offers a compassionate perspective of displacement， not only of Halaby's mother but also other Palestinians。 This thoughtful rendering shows the struggle of the Palestinian people， the impact of present， and unbearable， living conditions on those still in the region， and a sad history of some of the most damaging policies both historically and presently。 For those of us who wish to hear different accounts of the history of the region and the impact of its conflicts on Palestinians since the 1948 war， the memoir proves a rare gem。 Halaby’s academic and professional background as a teacher of non-violent conflict resolution， and her rendering of her family’s history， including its displacement， make her uniquely situated to offer insights into the continuing struggle of the Palestinian people。 Her storytelling is full of delicious details of the beauty and richness of the place， as well as the warmth and love of the people she meets during her year in Ramallah， where she has taken a temporary teaching post。 The history of the area is not given in the book and Halaby’s perspective is a singular one， not intended to be a complete history， so it’s worth reading around the subject。 My own understanding is that long before 1948， two groups of people claimed the same land。 Toward the twentieth century， the Palestinians were developing a sense of cultural identity and nationality that they felt should include a nation state。 Meanwhile， Jews from within the same area as well as from all over the world， were understanding Judaism as not only a religion but a nationality that required a nation-state， too。 Halaby states that Muslims， as well as Christians， lived peacefully alongside each other in the region in the early twentieth century。 Her mother describes playing on sports teams full of children of different religions。 However， the British Mandate was the undoing of the area， and the memoir touches upon this。 My own understanding is that the British began limiting the numbers of Jews moving to the area and that the Jews fought both British rule as well as Arabs for their rights to live in the land， especially as persecution elsewhere in the world put pressure on Jewish people。 From what I understand， it was the dividing of Palestine into two states after WWII that is at the heart of the conflict。 At that time， Jews agreed to the division as set down by the British， but Arabs did not， which led to the Arab-Israeli war of 1948。 The Israelis won the war but pushed past the boundaries set out by the British， and displaced Palestinian people from their homes， creating a huge refugee population that included Halaby’s family of origin。 She writes about this displacement， its memory in her heart and in her mother’s accounts of her history。 After the failed uprising against the Jews， Israel acquired far more land both from what had been agreed in 1948， and also land that had belonged to Egypt and Syria。 The 1978 agreement returned the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt， but Israel didn’t return the land that had been offered to the Palestinians in 1948。 None of this is in the book， nor is the memoir obligated to include it， but I put it here for a little background。 What also isn’t discussed， is that the Palestinian Liberation Organization claimed all the land belonged to Palestine and wanted to end the state of Israel。 Bombings and attacks have come from both sides， but understandably you （understandably） get a more Palestinian point of view in this memoir。 Halaby describes the problems resulting Israelis settling ever more on the territories that had been understood as belonging to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza。 These settlers were （and are） understood by some as entirely illegal， but the Israeli government doesn’t see it that way。 The conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians showed some hope of resolving with the Oslo Accords of 1993， which gave Palestinians some freedom to govern themselves， but the increasing violence from far-right military extremists like Hamas， and the resulting extremists on the Israeli side， meant that each group seems to be seeking the destruction of the other。 The result is that the daily lives of Palestinian people are increasingly difficult， and this is what Halaby talks about so well， and the sense of loss is fully felt， especially during the section of the work that describes her mother’s return to Jerusalem。 Sadly， her mother’s description of the peace between groups when she was a child seems impossible now。 。。。more
Karen
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Very interesting read/listen。 I'll admit I don't know enough about this area of the world。 I enjoyed learning about the history as well as the author's own experiences visiting and working in her mother's homeland。Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review。 Very interesting read/listen。 I'll admit I don't know enough about this area of the world。 I enjoyed learning about the history as well as the author's own experiences visiting and working in her mother's homeland。Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Stacy
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Mona Hajjar Halaby's mother grew up in Palestine， until her family was forced out in 1948。 Now， Mona is returning to Palestine for a year to teach conflict resolution in a school in Ramallah。 She keeps a diary of her time there， both her time spent working with the children at her school and in tracing her family's past in the country。 Interspersed with Mona's story， she includes letters her mother wrote her during that year， recounting her childhood in Palestine。 I absolutely loved this memoir。 Mona Hajjar Halaby's mother grew up in Palestine， until her family was forced out in 1948。 Now， Mona is returning to Palestine for a year to teach conflict resolution in a school in Ramallah。 She keeps a diary of her time there， both her time spent working with the children at her school and in tracing her family's past in the country。 Interspersed with Mona's story， she includes letters her mother wrote her during that year， recounting her childhood in Palestine。 I absolutely loved this memoir。 The plight of the Palestinian people is horrifying， and the author did an excellent job laying it out for those not familiar with the situation。 It was fascinating to learn about her work with the children at the elementary school in Palestine and the way she was able to connect the way they reacted to conflict with the events happening in their country as they were growing up。 The book was beautifully written， and Lameece Issaq did a marvelous job with the narration。Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book。 。。。more
Sally
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Listening to an extract of this audiobook I knew immediately that I wanted to listen to this story…to understand。Mona’s Mother was forced out of her home in Palestine in 1948。 She took one small suitcase。 Her family fled first to Egypt then to Geneva。 As a child Mona listens to her Mother’s stories of her childhood in Palestine。 In 2007 Mona took a one year teaching job in Ramallah to teach non violent communication in a school。 She kept a journal of her experiences in a militarised occupied tow Listening to an extract of this audiobook I knew immediately that I wanted to listen to this story…to understand。Mona’s Mother was forced out of her home in Palestine in 1948。 She took one small suitcase。 Her family fled first to Egypt then to Geneva。 As a child Mona listens to her Mother’s stories of her childhood in Palestine。 In 2007 Mona took a one year teaching job in Ramallah to teach non violent communication in a school。 She kept a journal of her experiences in a militarised occupied town。 This book brings together both stories。I don’t know how to do justice to this amazing book。 It is everything - a personal and familial history， something of a travelogue as Mona describes people， objects， buildings， experiences in incredible detail as she travels around the places of her Mother’s childhood; a personal witness to events in history。 And it is an account of what it is like to live in these occupied areas。 We have all seen the terrible news headlines recently， but reading this promoted a deeper level of understanding as through Mona’s eyes we witness the hardships and difficulties of occupation- soldiers climbing on the school bus， restrictions， paperwork， checkpoints， concrete walls， illegal settlements。 It is a shock to her， it was a shock to me。 So many moments overwhelm you with sadness and frustration…But there are also some beautiful scenes of friendship， family， meals， wisdom， love。 I loved the descriptions of incredible salads， herbs， plants…shared meals， shared friendships and the stories。 I listened to this on audiobook and it really added to the experience， with the narrator translating Arabic words to illuminate particular descriptions and conversations。 The love between Mona and her Mum suffuses this story。 When Mona’s Mother visits her， I held my breath。 59 years away from her homeland。。how would she feel， what could it possibly be like？ And as Mona and her Mum stand in the garden of her old home I wept。Mona writes of her book， ‘I hope it will resonate with you， warm your heart， and enlighten you about every day life in Palestine’ This book did all those things and more。 With thanks to Netgalley， Bookoutre Audio and Thread Books for a digital copy of this very special audiobook。 。。。more
Thelma
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what a story I still can't believe many of the things that happened to Mona's mother。 this is the true story of many of the refugees， many of the wars or political things left them。 one of the things that Mona describes was how terrible is going back to your country only to find out you are not welcome， that the political situation still thriving for the benefit of a few， the Palestinians were robbed from their land little by little until they dint have anymore a place to live now they are fight what a story I still can't believe many of the things that happened to Mona's mother。 this is the true story of many of the refugees， many of the wars or political things left them。 one of the things that Mona describes was how terrible is going back to your country only to find out you are not welcome， that the political situation still thriving for the benefit of a few， the Palestinians were robbed from their land little by little until they dint have anymore a place to live now they are fighting to recover was stolen from them。 The brutality of the police， the constant harassment of the government， and the checkpoints it made impossible to enjoy or to even feel like you're home。 I felt terrible by many of the things they did to stole Palestinians from their land， this was a very deep and profound book，。What I love about the book is the real vision we have now about Jersusalem， about the Palestinians， their story， and the way Mona tells us her pilgrimage to find her mother’s home。 it was great to see all the places but at the same time sad to know how terrible they were treated in their own land。The narrations by Lameece Issaq were amazing I really enjoy the way she brought this book to life and the characters too Thank you Mona for writing your story， your mom's story， and your ancestry story， this shed so much light 。。。more
Sharyn
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What a book。 I enjoy reading memoir and biographies but this was the first time listening to one。 Lameece Issaq is an amazing narrator and suited the writing very well。 The story is interesting， engaging and emotionally charged - a perfect mix for a good read。 I have learned a lot about Palestine and had never heard the term Nakba before。 As a social historian this book was just perfect for me。 My only beef is that I had to listen at normal speed as anything faster on this advanced audio copy so What a book。 I enjoy reading memoir and biographies but this was the first time listening to one。 Lameece Issaq is an amazing narrator and suited the writing very well。 The story is interesting， engaging and emotionally charged - a perfect mix for a good read。 I have learned a lot about Palestine and had never heard the term Nakba before。 As a social historian this book was just perfect for me。 My only beef is that I had to listen at normal speed as anything faster on this advanced audio copy sounded like it was spoken through bubbles。 I expect that the final， retail version will have sorted this out。 Also the index was in a bizzare order， but luckily the audio was n the correct order。 With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tony Swinton
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Thank you for netgalley for a review copy of the book for an honest review “In My Mother’s Footsteps” is an honest account of the year Mona Hajjar Halaby spent in Ramallah， teaching at the Ramallah Friends School。 The descriptions of places and people make it feel as if you are there and is one of my favourite books of the year
Lucy-Bookworm
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“In My Mother’s Footsteps” is on one hand an account of the year Mona Hajjar Halaby spent teaching in Ramallah， Palestine and on the other an exploration of her own cultural heritage – she has family connections to Palestine， Syria and Egypt but also latterly to Switzerland and the USA。 As the author herself says， “Identity is where your heart lies” and her heart has always been in her mother’s homeland of Palestine， so when she was offered the opportunity to live there for a year， teaching at t “In My Mother’s Footsteps” is on one hand an account of the year Mona Hajjar Halaby spent teaching in Ramallah， Palestine and on the other an exploration of her own cultural heritage – she has family connections to Palestine， Syria and Egypt but also latterly to Switzerland and the USA。 As the author herself says， “Identity is where your heart lies” and her heart has always been in her mother’s homeland of Palestine， so when she was offered the opportunity to live there for a year， teaching at the Ramallah Friends School， Mona could not refuse。 She left her husband & sons in the USA and set off on a journey of personal and professional discovery。 The book couples anecdotes from the classroom with the realities of living in such a scarred and militarized place as Palestine。 Mona also includes her quest to find her mother’s home in Jerusalem and to visit some of the places that she had only heard about from her mother’s memories。 The inclusion of letters from Mona’s mother， each giving a new glimpse into her childhood in pre-1948 Palestine， gave a whole new dimension to the book。 It truly becomes "a memoir in two voices" and the historical context really helps the reader to understand the context more。 It was special to realise that Mona eventually took her elderly mother back to Palestine after 59 years in exile – Mona had always assumed her mother would be guiding her through Jerusalem， showing her the ancient Old City and the local neighbourhood， but it was Mona who held her mother’s hand and took her to see these places， having discovered them when she was working there。 Mona was employed to teach conflict resolution， which seems like a very bizarre subject and yet the more she explains it， the more powerful it becomes。 It’s sort of a cross between a behaviour mentor & a citizenship/social sciences/humanities teacher and she helps the children to find non-violent ways of resolving their problems。 Her insights into why the children behave as they do are astonishing and yet equally many of them could only have been determined by an “outsider”I found “In My Mother’s Footsteps” powerful and engrossing， personal yet historical。 I found myself looking up a map of Palestine several times to understand the logistics， where exactly was being referred to。 I thought I knew something of the history of Palestine but I learnt so much。 Yes we only see “one side” but this is a Palestinian writing about Palestine from the inside， yet with the additional perspective of someone who lives in the USA – and that cannot be ignored。 The State of Palestine has now been recognized by 138 of the 193 UN members and since 2012 has had a status of a non-member observer state in the United Nations – hopefully one day soon a resolution can be reached that will allow the Palestinian people to reclaim their ancient lands and live harmoniously with their neighbours， Israel。Overall， I cannot give this book less than 5 stars – it’s a powerful read that will stay with you long after reading/listening to it。 I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is perfect for the book， she fitted the role so well that I forgot that it was not the author speaking！ The inclusion of the author’s own message/voice was lovely， as were the inclusions of some phrases in different languages。 They fitted seamlessly and actually added to the authenticity of the book。 #netgalley #inmymothersfootsteps @bookoutureDisclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley。 Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it， all opinions are my own。（Also published on my blog: https://bookwormescapes。blogspot。com） 。。。more
Aid。Ila
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Beautifully written memoir of a refugee daughter who returned to Palestine for a year to teach conflict resolution in a school in Ramallah。 Mona kept a journal of her time spent with the Palestinian， reconnecting with her motherland， heritage， and culture while tracing the footprints of their homes and their churches。 In 1948， Palestine was home to Jews， Arabs， and Christians who coexisted; they were educated and accomplished until the Nakba， where 750，000 Palestinians became refugees and were n Beautifully written memoir of a refugee daughter who returned to Palestine for a year to teach conflict resolution in a school in Ramallah。 Mona kept a journal of her time spent with the Palestinian， reconnecting with her motherland， heritage， and culture while tracing the footprints of their homes and their churches。 In 1948， Palestine was home to Jews， Arabs， and Christians who coexisted; they were educated and accomplished until the Nakba， where 750，000 Palestinians became refugees and were never allowed to return home。 。。。more
Ann
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I find that I give this book 5 stars。 I took some time to really make sure that I wanted to do this， since it is not a rating I give easily。 But I did enjoy listening （audiobook） to all the stories this refugee had of her life and of also her relationship with her mother。 Most interesting is the way she would work hard to establish trust and report with her students。 I am sure that Mona Hajjar Halaby would be a very interesting person to sit next to at a dinner party！ Thank you to NetGalley for I find that I give this book 5 stars。 I took some time to really make sure that I wanted to do this， since it is not a rating I give easily。 But I did enjoy listening （audiobook） to all the stories this refugee had of her life and of also her relationship with her mother。 Most interesting is the way she would work hard to establish trust and report with her students。 I am sure that Mona Hajjar Halaby would be a very interesting person to sit next to at a dinner party！ Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy！#netgalley#inmymothersfootsteps 。。。more
RoshReviews
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Mona Hajjar Halaby comes from a rich cultural heritage， having connections to Palestine， Syria， Egypt， Switzerland and the US by virtue of birth or residence。 But the closest to her heart is her native land， the place not counted as a country， a land torn by strife to this day: Palestine。 As the author herself says， “Identity is where your heart lies。” Halaby’s mother had to leave Palestine as a young girl during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948。 But her heart was left in her land of her origin and Mona Hajjar Halaby comes from a rich cultural heritage， having connections to Palestine， Syria， Egypt， Switzerland and the US by virtue of birth or residence。 But the closest to her heart is her native land， the place not counted as a country， a land torn by strife to this day: Palestine。 As the author herself says， “Identity is where your heart lies。” Halaby’s mother had to leave Palestine as a young girl during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948。 But her heart was left in her land of her origin and she brought up Halaby to love and respect her Palestinian compatriots。 So when Halaby received an offer to teach conflict resolution in a school in Ramallah （near Jerusalem） for a year， she grabbed the opportunity eagerly。 Halaby maintained a journal of her time in Ramallah， where she wrote her thoughts about her motherland， a land she had hitherto known only through her mother’s memories。 This book contains four elements （though all are interspersed with each other and not written in a compartmentalised way。）1。tHalaby’s thoughts on the struggle of the Palestinian people and her experience of living in Palestine for a year。2。tThe background and repercussions of the Arab-Israeli war， especially on children。 As the author is a conflict resolution specialist， her interactions with the Palestinian school children make for introspective reading。3。tLetters written by Halaby’s mother to her， detailing the nostalgic memories from her own childhood in Palestine。 4。tDetails of a trip where Halaby took her 84 year old mother back to Palestine after 59 years abroad。 This includes her struggles to locate her mother’s childhood home， especially as there were no street or locality names at that time。 I loved this entire segment！ Each of these elements is written beautifully。 As in any memoir， Halaby’s personal thoughts dominate the narrative。 But the content is so hard-hitting that you forgive and forget the regular appearance of her wonderings and musings。 I loved the author’s decision to include her mother’s letters in the book。 As she says， it makes for "a memoir in two voices"， and I completely agree。 The historical background that these letters provide greatly enhances the reading experience。 I heard the audiobook narrated by Lameece Issaq， and I must say， I was very impressed at her reading。 Though the book contained lines in many languages， she went through them effortlessly。 The 9 hours long audiobook breezed by because of her voice。If you wish to have a clear idea of what’s happening in Palestine and how and why it all began， this would be a great book to begin with。 After all， what can be more authentic than a voice of Palestine speaking from Palestine？ Thank you， NetGalley and Bookouture Audio， for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review。***********************Join me on the Facebook group， Readers Forever！， for more reviews， book-related discussions and fun。Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews 。。。more
Meri
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Thank you netgalley and threadbooks for giving me this ARC in return for an honest review。I stumbled upon this ARC at netgalley at a time when I was looking for books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict。Mona， who has Palestinian roots and lives in the US， was invited to teach conflict resolution at a school in Ramallah， which is part of the Israeli Occupied Territories。 Mona writes about the problems and violence the students face living in an occupied town and how the conflict has shaped them。D Thank you netgalley and threadbooks for giving me this ARC in return for an honest review。I stumbled upon this ARC at netgalley at a time when I was looking for books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict。Mona， who has Palestinian roots and lives in the US， was invited to teach conflict resolution at a school in Ramallah， which is part of the Israeli Occupied Territories。 Mona writes about the problems and violence the students face living in an occupied town and how the conflict has shaped them。During weekends and breaks Mona follows in her mother’s footsteps。 Zakia， a Palestinian Catholic， was forced to flee to Egypt during the Arab-Israeli war。 Mona is able to locate her mother’s childhood home。 In one of the most touching and heartbreaking parts of the book Zakia joins her and Mona discovers her homeland which she only knew through her mother’s stories。The descriptions are very vivid， making it easy to get immersed into Mona’s journey。The book is very thoughtful and combines the narration of a family history with insights on how the conflict affects various generations， those who had to flee and those who stayed behind， the past and the present。One of the best books of 2021 and one that will stay on my mind for a long time。 I would recommend the book to anyone and have already pre-ordered the hard copy。 。。。more
Zainub Reads
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A beautifully written insightful memoir of the author’s experiences in Palestine， as she lived there for one-year teaching conflict resolution at the Ramallah Friends School。Her mother， Zakia had been forced to leave Palestine due to growing unrest and violence in the country and had intended to return after the situation calmed down， which for Palestinian refugees unfortunately became never。Luckily， due to Zakia’s Swiss passport she was granted the privilege of being able to visit the country A beautifully written insightful memoir of the author’s experiences in Palestine， as she lived there for one-year teaching conflict resolution at the Ramallah Friends School。Her mother， Zakia had been forced to leave Palestine due to growing unrest and violence in the country and had intended to return after the situation calmed down， which for Palestinian refugees unfortunately became never。Luckily， due to Zakia’s Swiss passport she was granted the privilege of being able to visit the country of her birth and youth and some fifty-nine years later she visited her family home that was taken over by Jewish settlers and glimpse the life that was taken from her。I loved reading the letters the author’s mother wrote to her recounting her life and memories and how she remained bound to her identity as a Christian Arab as she attested to the peaceful coexistence of religions in the country that was divided tragically along communal lines by the events of 1948。The vivid descriptions of the landscapes， the homes， and the villages as well as the diverse neighborhoods， the caring neighbors and the delicious Palestinian cuisine all made for a very poignant read。The author intimately documents her time spent with the Palestinian children， reconnecting with her motherland， her heritage and culture， and tracing the footsteps of her ancestors seeking what remains of their homes and their churches。Though she was unable to inherit the land that rightfully belonged to her parents， I hope that the seeds the author bought of the fruit from the orange tree in her mother’s garden bear fruit in her garden too and that her children will never forget。A very enlightening read and one that stays with you for a long time。Thank you to the publishers & Netgalley for the ARC。⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 。。。more
Trisha Tomy
，
Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2。。。I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review！This is 4。5 stars， rounded up to 5。This book was a truly heartbreaking read。I honestly don't know where to start， I've been trying to write this review for hours now， but have made zero progress。It's because I don't know how to even begin unpacking the whole lot of emotions that has made me feel。 Anger， grief， sadness， despair， happiness， elation， pride; I could go on。 Al Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2。。。I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review！This is 4。5 stars， rounded up to 5。This book was a truly heartbreaking read。I honestly don't know where to start， I've been trying to write this review for hours now， but have made zero progress。It's because I don't know how to even begin unpacking the whole lot of emotions that has made me feel。 Anger， grief， sadness， despair， happiness， elation， pride; I could go on。 All of this， and so much more。I felt anger for the way so many people who had lost their homes and families， for the children who were still dealing with something that had happened when they were 5， something that will probably never leave them。 For the way people who followed a different religion and spoke a different language were discriminated against in a way that reminded me horrifically of descriptions of Nazi Germany。I felt grief for the many who lost their lives， for the author's family herself。 Grief for so much that could have been， so much lost。。。。not only lives， but livelihoods， homes， friends; their land。 Grief for the way so many children now live in fear， people live in fear， people who take out their fear and anger on their innocent brethren around them。I felt sadness for each and every person out there who lives in a place that does not want them， reduced to being refugees in foreign lands， to running away because staying would be worse。 Sadness that the world has come to this kind of thinking yourself superior， and pulling others down to prove it mentality， again。I felt despair， that so many of these people who left their homes， might never be able to see them again。 So many people who left thinking that this hate might die down， that it would only be temporary， people leaving， taking only enough for a vacation， just clothes for that season， losing everything they own， all the homes and reminders of home， all the things they called their own， taken over by people justifying it to themselves that it was legal。I felt happiness that despite all the horrors these people faced， they still find it in themselves to be happy， giving， people。 Helpful people who still have not lost hope。 People who find happiness in the little things， in helping a fellow human when they're sick and cooking them food。 Little moments of happiness， shining through all that is wrong with the world。I felt pride， pride that they are still fighting， still standing， proving that nothing will bring them down。 Pride that these children are finding their way to be compassionate， that all the volunteers， the Israeli people fighting against the Occupation， all of them are working towards a peaceful cohabitation， all of them working towards peace， peace after so many years of fighting。Despite the positive feelings I felt at the end， overall， throughout this book I would feel an overwhelming sense of not-rightness。 Of the feeling that this is not okay。 And that ties into my next point， because as a person who primarily reads fiction， and reads it for a reason， this book？ This book was scary on a whole other level。Because， in fiction？ At the end of the day， you know it's not real。 You know it's just a figment of someone's imagination。 That it never happened， and never will。 That despite all the horrors your characters faced， they came out on top， and even if they didn't it was never real。But here， here it is real。 It is real， and it's happening right now。 It;s been happening for years， and it will keep happening if no peace is reached。 Generations of children will live in fear， growing up to be adults that live in fear， that express this fear in unhealthy ways using violence， and the vicious cycle will continue。Because the Israeli people？ They're also people。 People like you and me， like the Palestinians。 People who can feel fear。 And if they're taught that Palestinians are to be feared， because they're different and not like them， then they will express their fear in such violent ways， as they've been doing， and as they will keep doing， just like the Palestinians。Because this is a vicious cycle， at least it looks like it from where I'm sitting。 One side does something， the other retaliates， fear grows， violence escalates， shaky peace emerges， but no one forgets the fear， and so they retaliate， and so the cycle continues。Now that we're done with the thoughts on the content， let's talk a bit about the writing。 I loved the writing style， I was painting pictures in my head so vividly with its help。 I loved the descriptions of the places and the food， the people and the whole atmosphere， really， it was so easy to get immersed into it。I especially loved the author's mother's letters， and they were sprinkled throughout this book in a very nice way， giving short breaks from the author's voice， while not breaking away from the overall message and content。One other thing I just had to say， after finishing， I finally realised the significance of the the tree on the cover。 And it makes me so happy， to see home on the cover， in a way。The reason I'm rating this 4。5 stars instead of five isn't really a thorough reason， which is why I only cut a 0。5 star。 It is in relation to the dialogues in places。。。sometimes the dialogues would seem very clunky， and I would have to read them twice or thrice to understand what was being siad。 I do think， though， that the reason for this was that it was most likely translated from another language， and thus the grammar for english was off。 There's nothing really wrong with it， I would just find it a bit weird。On the whole， an amazing and enlightening read， an done everyone should give a try， really， even if you just want to visit Israel and Palestine from a Palestinian's perspective， or if you want to know about the realities of this world， and the consequences of of such ethnic wars。 。。。more
Trisha （semi-hiatus）
，
Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2。。。I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review！This is 4。5 stars， rounded up to 5。This book was a truly heartbreaking read。I honestly don't know where to start， I've been trying to write this review for hours now， but have made zero progress。It's because I don't know how to even begin unpacking the whole lot of emotions that has made me feel。 Anger， grief， sadness， despair， happiness， elation， pride; I could go on。 Al Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2。。。I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review！This is 4。5 stars， rounded up to 5。This book was a truly heartbreaking read。I honestly don't know where to start， I've been trying to write this review for hours now， but have made zero progress。It's because I don't know how to even begin unpacking the whole lot of emotions that has made me feel。 Anger， grief， sadness， despair， happiness， elation， pride; I could go on。 All of this， and so much more。I felt anger for the way so many people who had lost their homes and families， for the children who were still dealing with something that had happened when they were 5， something that will probably never leave them。 For the way people who followed a different religion and spoke a different language were discriminated against in a way that reminded me horrifically of descriptions of Nazi Germany。I felt grief for the many who lost their lives， for the author's family herself。 Grief for so much that could have been， so much lost。。。。not only lives， but livelihoods， homes， friends; their land。 Grief for the way so many children now live in fear， people live in fear， people who take out their fear and anger on their innocent brethren around them。I felt sadness for each and every person out there who lives in a place that does not want them， reduced to being refugees in foreign lands， to running away because staying would be worse。 Sadness that the world has come to this kind of thinking yourself superior， and pulling others down to prove it mentality， again。I felt despair， that so many of these people who left their homes， might never be able to see them again。 So many people who left thinking that this hate might die down， that it would only be temporary， people leaving， taking only enough for a vacation， just clothes for that season， losing everything they own， all the homes and reminders of home， all the things they called their own， taken over by people justifying it to themselves that it was legal。I felt happiness that despite all the horrors these people faced， they still find it in themselves to be happy， giving， people。 Helpful people who still have not lost hope。 People who find happiness in the little things， in helping a fellow human when they're sick and cooking them food。 Little moments of happiness， shining through all that is wrong with the world。I felt pride， pride that they are still fighting， still standing， proving that nothing will bring them down。 Pride that these children are finding their way to be compassionate， that all the volunteers， the Israeli people fighting against the Occupation， all of them are working towards a peaceful cohabitation， all of them working towards peace， peace after so many years of fighting。Despite the positive feelings I felt at the end， overall， throughout this book I would feel an overwhelming sense of not-rightness。 Of the feeling that this is not okay。 And that ties into my next point， because as a person who primarily reads fiction， and reads it for a reason， this book？ This book was scary on a whole other level。Because， in fiction？ At the end of the day， you know it's not real。 You know it's just a figment of someone's imagination。 That it never happened， and never will。 That despite all the horrors your characters faced， they came out on top， and even if they didn't it was never real。But here， here it is real。 It is real， and it's happening right now。 It;s been happening for years， and it will keep happening if no peace is reached。 Generations of children will live in fear， growing up to be adults that live in fear， that express this fear in unhealthy ways using violence， and the vicious cycle will continue。Because the Israeli people？ They're also people。 People like you and me， like the Palestinians。 People who can feel fear。 And if they're taught that Palestinians are to be feared， because they're different and not like them， then they will express their fear in such violent ways， as they've been doing， and as they will keep doing， just like the Palestinians。Because this is a vicious cycle， at least it looks like it from where I'm sitting。 One side does something， the other retaliates， fear grows， violence escalates， shaky peace emerges， but no one forgets the fear， and so they retaliate， and so the cycle continues。Now that we're done with the thoughts on the content， let's talk a bit about the writing。 I loved the writing style， I was painting pictures in my head so vividly with its help。 I loved the descriptions of the places and the food， the people and the whole atmosphere， really， it was so easy to get immersed into it。I especially loved the author's mother's letters， and they were sprinkled throughout this book in a very nice way， giving short breaks from the author's voice， while not breaking away from the overall message and content。One other thing I just had to say， after finishing， I finally realised the significance of the the tree on the cover。 And it makes me so happy， to see home on the cover， in a way。The reason I'm rating this 4。5 stars instead of five isn't really a thorough reason， which is why I only cut a 0。5 star。 It is in relation to the dialogues in places。。。sometimes the dialogues would seem very clunky， and I would have to read them twice or thrice to understand what was being siad。 I do think， though， that the reason for this was that it was most likely translated from another language， and thus the grammar for english was off。 There's nothing really wrong with it， I would just find it a bit weird。On the whole， an amazing and enlightening read， an done everyone should give a try， really， even if you just want to visit Israel and Palestine from a Palestinian's perspective， or if you want to know about the realities of this world， and the consequences of of such ethnic wars。 。。。more
Abhilasha Rajendran
，
Firstly， thankyou netgalley for another great arc find！！This book couldn't have come at a more opportune time， when I was trying to understand a little better， the conflict going on in Israel/Gaza。 This book is a first person narrative about real people， real families， and real events that happened more than half a century ago。 Written very openly and directly it describes events experienced by the author's family when they were forced to flee Palestine and become refugees in their own homeland。 Firstly， thankyou netgalley for another great arc find！！This book couldn't have come at a more opportune time， when I was trying to understand a little better， the conflict going on in Israel/Gaza。 This book is a first person narrative about real people， real families， and real events that happened more than half a century ago。 Written very openly and directly it describes events experienced by the author's family when they were forced to flee Palestine and become refugees in their own homeland。 Refugees are like seeds that scatter in the wind， and land in different soils that become their reluctant homes’， the author says。When Mona moved from California to Ramallah to teach conflict resolution in a school for a year， she kept a journal。 Within its pages， she wrote her impressions of her homeland， a place she had only experienced through her mother’s memories。 As she settled into her teaching role， getting to know her students and the challenges they faced living in a militarized， occupied town， Mona also embarked on a personal pilgrimage to find her mother’s home in Jerusalem。 Mona had dreamed of being guided by her mother down the old souqs， and the leafy streets of her neighborhood， listening to the muezzin’s call for prayer and the medley of church bells。 But after fifty-nine years of exile， it was Mona’s mother who held her daughter’s hand as they visited Jerusalem together， walking the narrow cobblestone alleys of the Old City。 Their roles were reversed。 Mona had become her Mama’s legs and her memory – and the one to tell her story going forward。 My Mother’s Footsteps is a moving and heart-rending journey of a daughter discovering her roots and recovering her mother’s beloved past。 It’s also an intimate and tender account of daily life for Palestinians as never seen before。 A must read！ Definitely worth it！ 。。。more
Rez
，
Through this moving， evocative and poignant memoir， we join Mona as she follows in her mother’s footsteps back to Palestine from where she was forced to leave due to the Arab-Israeli war in 1948。 Mona was born in Egypt in the 1950s where she too became a refugee due to the nationalisation of Egypt。 Mona’s mother was a devout Palestinian Catholic and it was her stories of childhood and youth which embedded in Mona a deep rooted love of Palestinian heritage and belonging。 She made several trips th Through this moving， evocative and poignant memoir， we join Mona as she follows in her mother’s footsteps back to Palestine from where she was forced to leave due to the Arab-Israeli war in 1948。 Mona was born in Egypt in the 1950s where she too became a refugee due to the nationalisation of Egypt。 Mona’s mother was a devout Palestinian Catholic and it was her stories of childhood and youth which embedded in Mona a deep rooted love of Palestinian heritage and belonging。 She made several trips there to uncover her family history and to find her mother’s home。 She was invited to teach conflict resolution and non violent communication at the Ramallah Friends School in the Israeli Occupied Territories for a year。 Whilst there she witnessed firsthand the effects of Israeli Occupation on school age children and gives a small insight into some of the methods she used to help the school。 It did make me wonder however， about the thousands of children who wouldn’t have access to these schools and what they must be going through。 Mona experienced a small piece of Palestinian life and culture and saw the difficulties the Palestinians face living under occupation which her Californian passport gave her immunity to。 She was in her 50s by the time she could walk the streets of Palestine with her mother， who was only able to return due to her Swiss passport。 Letters from her mother make this a memoir of two voices intermingled between the pages giving an insight into what life was like for some Palestinians during the time of British Mandate and the Naqba。 She briefly mentions Palestinian history from the Ottoman era and of a time when Muslims， Jews and Christians lived side by side in harmony as well as mentioning the 1967 Six-day war and its consequences。The vivid descriptions of Palestinian landscapes， foods and photos which Mona interspersed throughout the book transported me to what once was。 The inspirational resilience of the Palestinians shines through。 Mona acknowledges her families experience as refugees are different as they had financial means and connections to escape from facing the horrors of the refugee camps and were later able to rebuild their lives。Thank you @netgalley and @threadbooks for giving me this ARC in return for an honest review。 This was a really insightful and touching book as well as an intimate narration of family history and deep rooted love of Palestine and I learnt a lot from it。 。。。more
Michelle McGrane
，
“‘Refugees are like seeds that scatter in the wind， and land in different soils that become their reluctant homes’ my mother once told me。 As a small child， I looked up at my mother and clutched her hand。 The puffiness of her palm reminded me of a loaf of warm pita bread， and when she laced her fingers into mine like a pretzel， I felt safe。 I would have walked with her to the ends of the earth。”This is a beautifully written and intimate portrait of a relationship between a mother and daughter。 T “‘Refugees are like seeds that scatter in the wind， and land in different soils that become their reluctant homes’ my mother once told me。 As a small child， I looked up at my mother and clutched her hand。 The puffiness of her palm reminded me of a loaf of warm pita bread， and when she laced her fingers into mine like a pretzel， I felt safe。 I would have walked with her to the ends of the earth。”This is a beautifully written and intimate portrait of a relationship between a mother and daughter。 To read ‘In My Mother’s Footsteps’ is like undertaking a sacred journey with Mona and her eighty-four-year-old mother， Zakia， tracing their footsteps back to Jerusalem after Zakia’s fifty-nine years of exile。The book is a memoir in two voices， the author’s and her mother’s， the past and present intertwined。 Zakia writes Mona letters during Mona’s year of teaching conflict resolution in Ramallah while Mona keeps a journal。 Within its pages， she writes her impressions of her homeland， a place she has only experienced through her mother’s memories。 She writes of the challenges teachers and students face while living in a militarized， occupied town and also sets off on a personal pilgrimage to find her mother’s home in Jerusalem。Mona had dreamed of being guided by her mother down the old souqs， and the leafy streets of her neighborhood， listening to the muezzin’s call for prayer and the medley of church bells。 But after so many years of exile， it is Zakia who holds her daughter’s hand as they visit Jerusalem together， walking the narrow cobblestone alleys of the Old City， their roles reversed。This memoir offers a glimpse into the perpetual Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the eyes of both Mona and Zakia。 ‘In My Mother’s Footsteps’ is a love letter to Palestine。A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @ThreadBooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Robin Price
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