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A review by caitfoges
Looking for Palestine: Growing Up Confused in an Arab-American Family by Najla Said
3.0
This book was not what I expected, and I am honestly not sure how I feel about it. The writing itself leaves much to be desired, as the author does a whole lot more "telling" than "showing" and repeats herself quite a bit. It still mostly held my attention though, I think due to Najla's candid voice and my prior interest in the subject matter.
As an American who lived in the Middle East for several years, I definitely related to Najla grappling with her privilege while interacting with the region, yet I was frustrated with how long it took her to get to this point. For much of the book, I struggled to be sympathetic as she complained about not liking her fancy summer camp or being a little less wealthy than the others at her high-class prep school in New York. She did encounter aspects of the war in Lebanon during summer vacations, which I am sure was challenging, but also she was able to fairly easily escape, unlike her extended family.
I don't want to be too harsh though, as I realize everyone is on their own journey of understanding the world and their place in it (including me, of course). I do relate to some of the very real difficulties Najla faced (especially her anxiety), and I admit to not really understanding others (what it's like to live as an immigrant in America).
In the end, I think this memoir does bring up some important issues through an interesting perspective. I can see it having a powerful impact on young Arab Americans wrestling to come to terms with their personal identities, as demonstrated through the touching quote on the final page.
As an American who lived in the Middle East for several years, I definitely related to Najla grappling with her privilege while interacting with the region, yet I was frustrated with how long it took her to get to this point. For much of the book, I struggled to be sympathetic as she complained about not liking her fancy summer camp or being a little less wealthy than the others at her high-class prep school in New York. She did encounter aspects of the war in Lebanon during summer vacations, which I am sure was challenging, but also she was able to fairly easily escape, unlike her extended family.
I don't want to be too harsh though, as I realize everyone is on their own journey of understanding the world and their place in it (including me, of course). I do relate to some of the very real difficulties Najla faced (especially her anxiety), and I admit to not really understanding others (what it's like to live as an immigrant in America).
In the end, I think this memoir does bring up some important issues through an interesting perspective. I can see it having a powerful impact on young Arab Americans wrestling to come to terms with their personal identities, as demonstrated through the touching quote on the final page.