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“[Shehadeh’s] searching analysis offers insights for readers coming new to the situation and others who wish to face it afresh.” —The Guardian
“A brief history of a long tragedy. Shehadeh, a lawyer, a human rights campaigner, and Palestine’s best writer, was born in Ramallah in 1951 and is still there, watching the ever-diminishing land, security, freedom, connection to the ancient past, and hope of his people. This measured, desperate account of what led to the horrors that have unfolded since October 7, 2023, explains, as it mourns, a great deal.” —Times Literary Supplement, Books of the Year
“Shehadeh’s clarity of thought, conversational voice, and sharp analysis render this book a quick, fascinating read, and his passion for his people and their plight infuse the book with exactly the right pace and tone. A concise, essential history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Elegantly written…suffused with anger without descending into bitterness.” —Irish Times
“This short, personal volume gives historical and political context to Israeli and Palestinian relations…A hard-hitting and necessary conversation.” —Library Journal
“Shehadeh’s insightful writing provides a deep understanding of a conflict that, despite its long and painful history, still holds the potential for resolution…essential reading for those seeking to understand the enduring complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Shehadeh’s articulate essay not only illuminates the past but also offers hope for a future where peace and equality might prevail.” —EuropeNow
Praise for Raja Shehadeh:
“Palestine’s greatest prose writer.” —The Observer
“In his moral clarity and baring of the heart, his self-questioning and insistence on focusing on the experience of the individual within the storms of nationalist myth and hubris, Shehadeh recalls writers such as Ghassan Kanafani and Primo Levi.” —New York Times Book Review
“Shehadeh is a great inquiring spirit with a tone that is vivid, ironic, melancholy, and wise.” —Colm Tóibín
“Shehadeh is a buoy in a sea of bleakness.” —Rachel Kushner