A review by becca_osborn
Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah

4.0

Hayaat, who has been in a terrible accident which disfigures her face, loves her grandmother despite her being a little annoying (and farting a lot) at times. But when Sitti becomes ill, she says in passing, "If only I could touch the soil of my land again, this would make me well."

So when curfew is lifted, Hayaat and her friend Samy (who is being raised Christian) take a risk to enter Jerusalem illegally, trying to make it there and back before the doors will have to be closed again.

This journey is more about our commonalities in religion, race, etc. than about these children getting to their goal - and while they don't make it to their grandmother's land, cuz they have no idea where her house is, they still take some soil from Jerusalem because "it's still the soil where she grew up" (can't remember the exact wording).

There are some beautiful gems in this book. Abdel-Fattah uses humor (seriously, she's hilarious) and then drops these painfully accurate truths that are clear and to the point. She does not mess around. What a fresh perspective! I look forward to reading Abdel-Fattah's other works, and this book has encouraged me to read more about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

I wish I had had access to books like this as a middle reader! Recommended.