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Trees for the Absentees
by Sue Copeland, Ahlam Bsharat, أحلام بشارات
In this YA coming-of-age, magical realism novella we see different glimpses into the life of Philistia, a Palestinian university student who works part-time in a hammam in Nablus. While washing the bodies of the women at the hammam everything feels differently for Philistia: she enters a dreamworld and thinks of her late grandmother who imparted her a lot of wisdom, of her father who is imprisoned by the Israeli governement, and of a boy who worked at the same place in a different time.
While very short, a lot is said in this deeply profound and poetic novella that blurs the line between the real and the imaginary. Bsharat writes in gorgeous lyrical prose - which is undoubtedly even better in Arabic - and uses many beautiful metaphors and magical realist elements to convey subjects such as loss, grief, memory, family connections, friendship and growing up in occupied Palestine.
Firstly, we learn about Philistia's grandmother who worked both as a midwife and a washer of the deceased. She taught Philistia her knowledge of the secrets of the body - and thus of life and death - accessed by washing it. I can't tell more about the deeper meanings of her grandmother's ideas and the title of the book without spoiling them, but they were very profound and thought-provoking.
Secondly, Philistia writes letters to her father who is imprisoned by the Israeli occupation, telling him about her daily life and her deep sense of loss. These passages were very emotional and beautifully done. And lastly, through the character of Baykarat - the boy of the past Philistia meets in the dreamworld - we learn about life in Palestine during the British mandate. Philistia feels a strong connection to him because he worked at the same hammam and also knew how to access the secrets of the body with his hands.
Some things are undoubtedly lost in translation or difficult to grasp being non-Palestinian, but what I could understand was absolutely beautiful, emotional and philosophical.
While very short, a lot is said in this deeply profound and poetic novella that blurs the line between the real and the imaginary. Bsharat writes in gorgeous lyrical prose - which is undoubtedly even better in Arabic - and uses many beautiful metaphors and magical realist elements to convey subjects such as loss, grief, memory, family connections, friendship and growing up in occupied Palestine.
Firstly, we learn about Philistia's grandmother who worked both as a midwife and a washer of the deceased. She taught Philistia her knowledge of the secrets of the body - and thus of life and death - accessed by washing it. I can't tell more about the deeper meanings of her grandmother's ideas and the title of the book without spoiling them, but they were very profound and thought-provoking.
Secondly, Philistia writes letters to her father who is imprisoned by the Israeli occupation, telling him about her daily life and her deep sense of loss. These passages were very emotional and beautifully done. And lastly, through the character of Baykarat - the boy of the past Philistia meets in the dreamworld - we learn about life in Palestine during the British mandate. Philistia feels a strong connection to him because he worked at the same hammam and also knew how to access the secrets of the body with his hands.
Some things are undoubtedly lost in translation or difficult to grasp being non-Palestinian, but what I could understand was absolutely beautiful, emotional and philosophical.