We’re all born with the greatest treasures we’ll ever have in life. One of those treasures is your mind, another is your heart.
Mornings in Jenin follows four generations of the Abulheja family through upheaval and violence in their homeland. The family has deep roots in Ein Hod, a tranquil village of olive farmers. When Israel declares statehood in 1948, the peace of Ein Hod is shattered forever: The entire community is forced to move to a refugee camp in Jenin.
The Palestinian point of view is not one that is shown often. The Israeli and Palestinian conflict is extremely complex so reading Mornings in Jenin was eye opening and powerful and so so well done. The author, Susan Abulhawa (who was born in Palestine) manages to fit in history to frame the story and include four generations of well developed characters spanning from post World War II to the early 2000’s, all while writing emotion filled and stunning prose.
This was the #readwithtoni book for December and we had such a great group. This book sparked so many interesting discussions and I am so thankful for everyone who read along.
If you enjoyed Kite Runner or you are interested in learning more about this ongoing conflict I highly recommend reading this book.
Have you ever read a book based on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict?
Find Mornings in Jenin at the publisher →
Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
