10 Great Books by Palestinian Authors

It’s hard to think about anything else, really. You don’t need to be Palestinian or even Arab to feel the pain right now. You just need to be a human being with a heart.

For many people, the last eight months have been an education on a sordid story that’s 76 years old - and counting. For me, the time has made me reflect deeply on my Palestinian heritage. And on humanity and motherhood.

I believe stories can heal and soothe. Here are 10 great books by Palestinian authors that should be in your TBR pile:

48 Stories of Exile from Palestine by Deema Al Alami

This Dubai-based author is donating all proceeds from book sales to the PCRF (Palestine Children’s Relief Fund), featuring a collection of stories from the Palestinian diaspora. You can purchase directly from at www.48stories.com.

Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

A sinister coffee cup reading the night before an eldest daughter’s wedding leads to decades of displacement for this family. Full of warmth and third culture kid identity crises, this book will give you all the feels.

You Exist Too Much by Zeina Arafat

This beautiful work dives into sexual and cultural identity, featuring a queer protagonist living in Brooklyn with a deep longing for love and a lost homeland. Based on the author’s true life experiences.

The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah

Grab the tissues for this emotional read about a shooting triggered by racism at a school with a Palestinian American principal. It’s won a handful of prestigious awards for a reason.

I Don’t Want This Poem to End by Mahmoud Darwish

It’s amazing how this poet can evoke strong emotions with an economy of words.

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

This award-winning novel centers on three generations of Palestinian American women trying to navigate life and love.

The Parisian by Isabella Hammad

This lyrical novel tells the story of a wealthy man who leaves Ottoman-ruled Palestine in 1914 to study medicine in Paris. When he returns, his homeland is under British rule and his love life is in disarray. Isabella’s latest novel, Enter Ghost, was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize this year.

Her First Palestinian by Saeed Teebi

A searing collection of short stories about immigrants to Canada who grapple with love and loss.

Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj

This anticipated debut breaks down stereotypes faced by three Palestinian families in Baltimore in a funny, warm way.

In My Mother’s Footsteps by Mona Hajjar Halaby

In California in 2007, Mona is asked to teach conflict resolution in Ramallah and jumps at the chance to learn about the Palestine her mother left in 1948 (with one suitcase, thinking she would one day return)… At times funny and at times very sad, this is a moving story of a daughter bringing her mother back to a lost homeland for the first time in 59 years.

I’ll, I’ll Follow: Bookstagram

Shoutout to @zubscovered, a Bookstagrammer with a great selection of titles (and fellow Bridgerton fan :).

Countdown to My Novel’s Publication Date!

With kindness,

Sara