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ljrinaldi's review against another edition
4.0
When I was growing up, in Los Angeles, we had many refugees come to our city, and our schools. I was friends with kids that escaped, with their families, from Lebenon, from Cambodia, from Iran. Kids talking to each other can find that they have a lot in common, if the parents and adults don't get in the way.
This memorie is of a girl whose family has escaped from Palestine, or what is now the Palestinian Territories. She talks about how because she doesn't look like what Americans think Arab people look like, they think she is white, and she often hears racist "jokes". The name of the book is taken from a cultural festival that she would go to, every year as a kid, where people would rent hookahs, and wander around with them at the festival.
The author had to self publish, at first, to get this book out, because people shied away from stories about Palestinians. She said when she took her book to comic book shows, people would pick up the book, thinking it was about hookahs, and then try to find a nice way to put the book down when they discovered what it really was.
Well written, gives a view of a world that most white people in America are unaware of.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
This memorie is of a girl whose family has escaped from Palestine, or what is now the Palestinian Territories. She talks about how because she doesn't look like what Americans think Arab people look like, they think she is white, and she often hears racist "jokes". The name of the book is taken from a cultural festival that she would go to, every year as a kid, where people would rent hookahs, and wander around with them at the festival.
The author had to self publish, at first, to get this book out, because people shied away from stories about Palestinians. She said when she took her book to comic book shows, people would pick up the book, thinking it was about hookahs, and then try to find a nice way to put the book down when they discovered what it really was.
Well written, gives a view of a world that most white people in America are unaware of.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
kristauhh's review
3.0
both entertaining and educational stories! definitely enjoyed the experience of reading this :)
loved the story about sunflower seeds - can relate xd
loved the story about sunflower seeds - can relate xd
ktshpdvndr's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this book -- it was clever and entertaining, but I really enjoyed reading the point of view of the author. It is always good to view things from someone so different. Especially since it is so popular to pretend that Arabs, and especially Palestinians, are not real humans. As the author points out, the history is so complex and difficult to grapple with.
amyextradot's review against another edition
5.0
This graphic novel by Palestinian-American author, Marguerite Dabaie is deceptively simple, but gives readers a realistic, light-hearted, honest, and real glimpse into the lives of Middle-Eastern families. Dabaie doesn't pull any punches when she refers to prejudices that those of Middle-Eastern descent, even while poking fun at her own cultures' quirks. Part-textbook (for the information) part-art installment, I highly recommend this for anyone looking for an insight into a different culture.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
kateybellew's review
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
3.5
This collection of very short snapshots of the author’s experience of being Palestinian in America provide glimpses into the politicisation of her identity, sexism within her family, harmful and reductive stereotypes in American media, as well as sweet celebrations of her family history and Palestinian culture. I very much enjoyed this but definitely wanted more as it was such a quick read, and the short segments meant we covered a lot of ground but didn’t linger long enough to settle in. Happy I read it.
“When some continually make a point to assert that Palestinians don’t exist, calling yourself the thing you are becomes an act of defiance.”
“When some continually make a point to assert that Palestinians don’t exist, calling yourself the thing you are becomes an act of defiance.”