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A review by booksonadventures
Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
For readers of Pachinko and Homegoing, another multigenerational saga to shed light on untold stories.
First released in 2006, Mornings in Jenin is credited as the first mainstream novel in English to explore life in post-1948 Palestine. Being "the first" always comes with a lot of pressure, but Abulhawa delivers with a detailed and well-researched timeline of events. As a result, this novel is more historically dense than some of her other works, at times sacrificing story and character development in her commitment to walk the reader through Israeli occupation from the Palestinian perspective.
Abulhawa's attention to detail is for the benefit of western readers, but political specifics are less important to refugees of Jenin who have been displaced and terrorized in response to shifting borders. This is the truth that we all need to understand about war, civilians always pay the highest price in times of conflict.
Although Mornings in Jenin is unable to match my love for Against the Loveless World (only because I prefer a more story-driven approach), I still relished Abulhawa's heartfelt writing. I also feel like a more empathetic and informed person having read it... especially because I spent more time researching these events & context than I did actually reading the book.
First released in 2006, Mornings in Jenin is credited as the first mainstream novel in English to explore life in post-1948 Palestine. Being "the first" always comes with a lot of pressure, but Abulhawa delivers with a detailed and well-researched timeline of events. As a result, this novel is more historically dense than some of her other works, at times sacrificing story and character development in her commitment to walk the reader through Israeli occupation from the Palestinian perspective.
Abulhawa's attention to detail is for the benefit of western readers, but political specifics are less important to refugees of Jenin who have been displaced and terrorized in response to shifting borders. This is the truth that we all need to understand about war, civilians always pay the highest price in times of conflict.
Although Mornings in Jenin is unable to match my love for Against the Loveless World (only because I prefer a more story-driven approach), I still relished Abulhawa's heartfelt writing. I also feel like a more empathetic and informed person having read it... especially because I spent more time researching these events & context than I did actually reading the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent