Born a Refugee- Dixiane Hallaj

http://www.amazon.com/Born-a-Refugee-ebook/dp/B003A4IEFG


This is a deep, rich, poignant and profoundly humanistic book. It is also one of the best "political" books I have ever read.
The central thesis, a family that could be any one's neighbours anywhere of Earth, except that they are struggling against the crush of a "foreign" military occupation, living between Jerusalem and Ramallah, is brilliantly constructed.
Whilst telling one extended family's story Hallaj very cleverly keeps the reader linked to the massive historical waves convulsing the nowadays lands of Abraham. The chosen device, the start of chapter historic, headline, quote, works very well.
Haaaj is a very good reader of people. Her characters are totally believable, and her understanding of the issues facing stateless people walking their own ancestors' lands seems to an outsider to be sharp and profound. Politicians who really care for the pursuit of peace should read this book, whatever side of the wicked divide birth or conviction puts them on.
My only gripe is that Hallaj is far too soft on the terrors on both sides of the story. For me the time for soft kicks, for common sense solutions, ended with the death of Ben Gurion, a long life far too short. But then again, if ever peace is to come through peaceful means then this book may well be a cathartic part of the build. No antagonists can justifiably claim that this read is too hurtful of their sensibilities. For those distant from the issues, here is a fiction that accurately reflects a continuing truth.

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