I have learned so much so what it must have been like for the Palestinians during the decades of occupation under the Ottoman Empire, British Rule, and Zionist settlers. It is definitely one sided; not an unbiased novel. But I was fully engaged, and shown a perspective that I have not otherwise ever encountered. ( )

The Palestinian heritage.

This impressive work tells the fascinating story of the life of a village from the turn of the twentieth century until the incoming Jews of 1948 absorb the land and the villagers become refugees. Although fiction, the narrative is based on fact, interspersed with italicised quotes from people who survived those turbulent times. It is also an interesting mix of narrative and mythology.

We mainly follow the fortunes of a family living in the village of Hadiya (meaning Peaceful), headed by Hajj Mahmud, and succeeded by his son Khalid. Khalid rescues a striking white mare, al-Hamama, which eventually becomes his and which he is totally obsessed by.
The life of such a village is poetically described, with many anecdotes of village life. Marriages, births, deaths, and the growing of crops, all take place at a leisurely pace, until life is turned upside down by the threat of war and defense of the land.

My lowly rating of only three stars is based on my actual enjoyment of reading the book, which I found rather tedious and long-winded. However, writing this, three months after finishing the book, I realise that it has left a lasting impression on me, of how the Zionists infiltrated Palestinian lands, insidiously squeezing out the native Palestinians.

The author, born to Palestinian parents in Jordan in 1954, grew up in a refugee camp there and is uniquely placed to narrate this story. The translation, by Nancy Roberts, was smooth and lucid. A difficult book to read but well worth the effort. ( )