A very hard novella to read because it is so visceral and realistic. I wanted to address both parts separately and really outline the genius of how Shibli portrays a terrifying apartheid/ethnic cleansing. Part one is set in the past and portrays the life of a leader within an Israeli army camp, who is stationed within the desert. This man continuously discusses hygiene, complains about the heat, is paranoid of the bugs and creatures living within the desert, and goes about his days staking his claim on a place he appears not to care about. Everything within this environment works against him, because he does not belong in this space. The heat gets to him, burning him red, he is bitten by something in the night and his leg becomes infected, he washes himself constantly in hopes of washing away the dirt, sand, and what he believes to be grime of the desert. He spends his time crushing bugs that live within his tent. When he finds the bedouins he is in the throws of infection and possible poisoning. He is out of his mind, but still manages to find them, his men and him wipe them out without a second thought. His treatment of the young teenager they capture is indicative of his disgust with the people, the communities that are native to the land, and his frustration with the land not bending to his will. The poison running through him mimics the poison within himself, slowly distorting the landscape and pushing him to perform evil deeds. The land hurts him and he in turn hurts those who live on the land. Part two you become connected to a Palestinian woman. The anxiety and fear she feels are palpable. The injustices Palestinians face is front and centre and you experience her PTSD and her almost agoraphobia because of Israel's laws which hamper Palestinian movement, and the torment, imprisonment, and murder she has witnessed daily. It is through chance that she reads an article that has a line about a raped and murdered young bedouin whose death coincides with her birth. This article pushes her outside her comfort zone. But, the novella also highlights the ways in which Palestinians assist each other. From her coworkers helping her with an ID that will get her to the place she wants to investigate (because she does not have the right to move outside of Ramallah), to a coworker helping her rent a car, to a young girl who simply needs to sell some gum. In this instance we see the humanity of Palestinians, their care, kindness and community. As you follow along on the journey you too feel the claustrophobia of travel within a state that you are considered 'outsider' in, even if you are indigenous to the land. The reader is given brief history lessons as this woman travels from one area to another, from one check point to another. You hear of towns that have been wiped out, of new settlements enacted in their place. You feel the pain of this woman witnessing a land she used to know being shaped into something completely different and how foreign it feels, while also feeling like home. There are moments where she must approach Israeli citizens and often times they seem indifferent to her, because they believe her to belong in the space she is in. They believe her to be one of them. But your nerves shudder every time she approaches a checkpoint, with each interaction she has, with each new scenario she is placed within. The abrupt end of the novella mimics the endless plight of Palestine and its people. How dangerous it is to simply be Palestinian. Please read this novella, it is so heartbreaking but important. Highly recommend the audiobook.
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