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cjordahl's review against another edition
5.0
That hit the spot. I'm really drawn to graphic memoirs, slice-of-life, subtle, thoughtful, wordy books.
(side note: I'm confused how anyone could see the author as a know-it-all since she spends the entire book taking in new information and reevaluating her positions)
(side note: I'm confused how anyone could see the author as a know-it-all since she spends the entire book taking in new information and reevaluating her positions)
katiebowers's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful watercolor illustrations paint an interesting and complex picture of one American’s struggle to understand the history and present context of the conflict Israel/Palestine conflict. Also a neat peek into Birthright trips for those who haven’t/can’t go.
just_fighting_censorship's review against another edition
4.0
This was absolutely fascinating, there is a ton of historical and cultural information touched on in this book that is presented in a really interesting and engaging way. Sarah is an American Jew, by heritage more than religious conviction, who takes a birthright trip to Israel. A birthright trip is a free trip to the motherland for non-Israeli Jews allowing them to reconnect with their people and culture.
Aside from being a Jew, Sarah is also a very left liberal, a term she CONSTANTLY labels herself with...yes it was annoying. Before making the trip to Israel, Sarah has researched 'the conflict' extensively (by 'the conflict' I mean the political turmoil of the middle east aka Israel VS Palestine...duh where have you been?!) Anyway, Sarah has some pretty strong Anti-Israel stances because....she's a liberal dammit and that's what liberals do, they hate 'evil Israel' and praise 'poor Palestine'. Throughout the book Sarah meets several non-liberals who are actually well-spoken, intelligent, and *gasp* pretty objective. Although there are several examples of these pro-Israel characters NOT being evil caricatures, Sarah seems awed and surprised each and every time she meets one.
This is the kind of thinking that boggles my mind, Sarah comes to Israel thinking that she knows it all, and throws a fit every time someone, who actually LIVES in Israel, has a different opinion. She becomes incensed with people who are more conservative, judging them before she even knows them.
For example, there is a Republican on the birthright trip that she pretty much avoids at all costs because she heard second hand that he 'doesn't believe in gay people'. When she is forced to talk to him she realizes that he isn't homophobic and his words were taken completely out of context. He's actually a very open minded, self-aware guy. Gee, imagine that!
Sarah came across as incredibly naive, as if she alone was enlighten and had the solution to a conflict that is thousands of years old.
As annoyed as I was with Sarah, I do think that towards the end she kind of realized she was being ignorant, kind of. I mean, she wrote the book and gave a voice to people that she didn't agree with, which tells me she walked away with a little more perspective. Still she is dismissive and patronizing towards the other people on the trip, including her friend. Her snobbish attitude towards things beyond just 'the conflict' often made me wish I had a different narrator, but then she would have a true epiphany or moment of growth, and I found myself somewhat endeared. Regardless of my love/hate relationship with the character, she was well informed and certainly passionate about the topic. I admired both.
Overall, this was a good read. Sarah does a great job of incorporating the history of Israel into the birthright experience. Sarah the character was incredibly biased but Sarah the author was thoughtful, reflective, and objective, even when it came to pointing out her own flaws. Respect!
The author does a fantastic job of explaining a very complex conflict, that has many layers. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the Middle East, Israel, or Palestine. It felt both intimate and expansive. A job well done!
Part of my 2015 Special 50 Book challenge- A Nonfiction Book
Aside from being a Jew, Sarah is also a very left liberal, a term she CONSTANTLY labels herself with...yes it was annoying. Before making the trip to Israel, Sarah has researched 'the conflict' extensively (by 'the conflict' I mean the political turmoil of the middle east aka Israel VS Palestine...duh where have you been?!) Anyway, Sarah has some pretty strong Anti-Israel stances because....she's a liberal dammit and that's what liberals do, they hate 'evil Israel' and praise 'poor Palestine'. Throughout the book Sarah meets several non-liberals who are actually well-spoken, intelligent, and *gasp* pretty objective. Although there are several examples of these pro-Israel characters NOT being evil caricatures, Sarah seems awed and surprised each and every time she meets one.
This is the kind of thinking that boggles my mind, Sarah comes to Israel thinking that she knows it all, and throws a fit every time someone, who actually LIVES in Israel, has a different opinion. She becomes incensed with people who are more conservative, judging them before she even knows them.
For example, there is a Republican on the birthright trip that she pretty much avoids at all costs because she heard second hand that he 'doesn't believe in gay people'. When she is forced to talk to him she realizes that he isn't homophobic and his words were taken completely out of context. He's actually a very open minded, self-aware guy. Gee, imagine that!
Sarah came across as incredibly naive, as if she alone was enlighten and had the solution to a conflict that is thousands of years old.
As annoyed as I was with Sarah, I do think that towards the end she kind of realized she was being ignorant, kind of. I mean, she wrote the book and gave a voice to people that she didn't agree with, which tells me she walked away with a little more perspective. Still she is dismissive and patronizing towards the other people on the trip, including her friend. Her snobbish attitude towards things beyond just 'the conflict' often made me wish I had a different narrator, but then she would have a true epiphany or moment of growth, and I found myself somewhat endeared. Regardless of my love/hate relationship with the character, she was well informed and certainly passionate about the topic. I admired both.
Overall, this was a good read. Sarah does a great job of incorporating the history of Israel into the birthright experience. Sarah the character was incredibly biased but Sarah the author was thoughtful, reflective, and objective, even when it came to pointing out her own flaws. Respect!
The author does a fantastic job of explaining a very complex conflict, that has many layers. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the Middle East, Israel, or Palestine. It felt both intimate and expansive. A job well done!
Part of my 2015 Special 50 Book challenge- A Nonfiction Book
yanareads6969's review against another edition
4.0
... except it should probably be called "How to Understand Israel in 7 Days or Less". I thought maybe she'd do more travel on her own, maybe a kibbutz volunteer stint and trips to border countries like Jordan and Egypt. I guess the 60 days includes her research before?
Great illustrations, always nice to see a graphic novel with color. Generally a great travel memoir, and does a good job of summarizing "the situation", though of course this shouldn't be your sole source on Israel-Palestine.
Great illustrations, always nice to see a graphic novel with color. Generally a great travel memoir, and does a good job of summarizing "the situation", though of course this shouldn't be your sole source on Israel-Palestine.
bradley_jf's review against another edition
5.0
I think anyone could pick up this graphic novel and enjoy it, but I don't think anyone could have much of an understanding of the conflict after reading it. But, this comic isn't really meant to explain the conflict. It's more of a diary of a birthright trip to Israel from the point of view of a woman who has become personally, emotionally caught up in the conflict and what it means for her in terms of her Jewish identity. I'd read something about that before, that Israel's changing nature presents a challenge to Jews outside Israel. When I finished looking at the last page, I think I had a little more insight into what it might be like for a Jew to confront the realities of Israel after being steeped in the literature of a century of Jewish conflict in the region.
amaniesami's review against another edition
1.0
How to understand Israel? Talk to actual Palestinians.
late_stranger's review against another edition
3.0
I read this on a fairly old recommendation and I'm not sorry I did, but I think it would have been more useful to me at the time of the recommendation (I think like 2 or 3 years ago) rather than now, as my own understanding of and positions on Israel have evolved. Glidden does not arrive at any pat answers, which is both definitely the right thing and also a little unsatisfying as the end of a book. But she does do a decent job of complexifying the situation from the perspective of an American progressive, which is a perpetually useful endeavor. I almost wish she had extended the narrative and talked more about how her experience returning to the US and her political community was, although I understand why she didn't.
florapants84's review against another edition
3.0
"In Israel, every person is a soldier, it's true. But every soldier is a person. And maybe we make mistakes. And maybe we do things you don't like, but we love this country. It has problems, yes, but we want to solve them."–Tour Guide at Independence Hall, Tel Aviv
This was an interesting travelogue and graphic memoir. Israel is a subject that has always baffled me. I just don't get it all. There are so many components to why it is in the state that it's in today. Glidden decides to take a "Birthright Israel" tour of Israel to learn about her roots and where she stands on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. She's determined not to come home a convert to Zionism, and throughout this book we are subjected to her inner struggle to accept that each side of the conflict has its points. It's not black and white. This very thing grated on my nerves eventually. This is a slim but dense comic. It tackles some tough subjects, but I didn't emerge with a full sense of understanding. Debating whether to pick up her sequel: [b:Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria and Iraq|28116811|Rolling Blackouts Dispatches from Turkey, Syria and Iraq|Sarah Glidden|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453685234s/28116811.jpg|48126474]. Hmm...
This was an interesting travelogue and graphic memoir. Israel is a subject that has always baffled me. I just don't get it all. There are so many components to why it is in the state that it's in today. Glidden decides to take a "Birthright Israel" tour of Israel to learn about her roots and where she stands on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. She's determined not to come home a convert to Zionism, and throughout this book we are subjected to her inner struggle to accept that each side of the conflict has its points. It's not black and white. This very thing grated on my nerves eventually. This is a slim but dense comic. It tackles some tough subjects, but I didn't emerge with a full sense of understanding. Debating whether to pick up her sequel: [b:Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria and Iraq|28116811|Rolling Blackouts Dispatches from Turkey, Syria and Iraq|Sarah Glidden|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453685234s/28116811.jpg|48126474]. Hmm...
elllie's review against another edition
4.0
Great look at the Israeli-Palestinian situation. I kind of wanted more background information before diving into the story and definitely some things could have been explained better, but overall, nice job.