Journey to a world little known to western readers. Palestinian sociologist and activist Anan Ameri weaves her sometimes poignant, sometimes funny personal experiences with the historical, political, and social changes that dominated the region in which she lived during the first thirty years of her life. This memoir comprises twenty-three stories that take place in various Arab cities. It starts with a few vignettes about the displacement of Anans family during the 1948 Nakba (Disaster) and her constant movement from West Jerusalem, to Damascus, to East Jerusalem, to finally settling in Amman, Jordan. The book contrasts the instability of moving from place to place with the security, fun, and luxury offered by her mothers large, wealthy Damascene family. It also takes the reader into the life of an elegant Damascene home, with all its elitist traditions, powerful women, as well as the intrigue of its many secrets and rumors. The later stories focus on the authors gradual coming of age during 1950s and 1960san era of Arab nationalism and international solidarity. Readers will venture with Anan to Amman, the capital of Jordan; to Cairo, the political and cultural capital of the Arab world; and finally to Beirut, the new home to the Palestinian Liberation movement. Anan Ameris experiences reflect the evolving of post-colonial Arab societies of her time, and the contradictory world around her. The result is a compelling and unforgettable memoir.
Industry Reviews
"Ameri recollects her life story from her earliest memories of living in Palestine before the Nakba (disaster) in 1948 to repeatedly traveling from Jordan to Syria amid the fluctuating tides of war, protest, and political upheaval. Ameri's story is that of relative privilege, as her father was a Jordanian government official and her mother came from an upper-class family who owned and operated a print shop. Prosperity, however, does not shield this family from the all-too-familiar violence of war and bloody territorial disputes. Her family life, by contrast, is not unlike any other, as her parents focus on trying to provide a peaceful place for raising their daughters and sons so that one day they can attend college and then graduate school. Filled with relatable stories about her fascination with modern technology, teen-idol-like admiration of Egyptian president Nasser, and anger toward religious intolerance at Western-run universities, this timely memoir should be shelved among other grand life stories lived amid war and turmoil. Ameri's strong and courageous voice gives this chronicle special significance as the world contends with a growing surge of conflicts and refugees."
