Mornings in Jenin

This fictional story Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa is based on the events following the displacement of Palestinians and the establishment of Israel in 1948. Most of the story is told in the first person by Amal as she is born in the early 1950s and lives most of her life under the real threat of dying in the Palestinian refugee camp in Jenin as Israel increases its occupation of the land with subsequent wars. This is an important story, however, parts of the book descends into mawkish sentimentality, particularly with the love stories. The author has let down her subject, in which she has a personal interest, which makes it all the more disappointing. We need to know more about the plight of the Palestinians and understand that the Israeli side of the story is not always "right". I will still recommend reading this book to get the Palestinian perspective. We can only hope that a solution to this situation will come soon and all will live in peace. 31/2/5