'Beautiful. Poignant. Phenomenal...I cried and I smiled...Truly a gem.' Goodreads reviewer

A moving and heartbreaking journey of a daughter discovering her Palestinian roots and recovering her mother's beloved past. Perfect for fans of The Bookseller of Kabul and The Beekeeper of Aleppo.

1948, Jerusalem. Zakia is forced to flee the only home she's ever known as war rips through the leafy streets and the bustling spice-filled souqs. Taking just one suitcase, Zakia thinks she'll be able to return soon. But within weeks, she realises she won't be allowed back to her beloved homeland.

2007, California. Mona grew up with her mother Zakia's memories of Palestine, imagining the muezzin's call for prayer and the medley of church bells her mother so vividly described to her. So, when Mona gets the opportunity to teach conflict resolution in Ramallah, she also embarks on a personal pilgrimage to find her mother's home in militarized and occupied Jerusalem.

With cherished letters from her mother who writes to Mona regularly, sharing her story of Jerusalem, Mona dreams of one day being guided by her through the winding cobblestone alleys of the Old City. Yet it is Mona who instead holds her mother's hand as they finally visit Jerusalem together. After fifty-nine years of exile, her mother is returning to the place she once called home - but can a lifetime of loss ever be healed?

About the Author
Mona Hajjar Halaby is a Palestinian-American educator, writer and social historian. In order to preserve Palestinian culture and heritage, she has created "British Mandate Jerusalemites Photo Library" on FaceBook, and "The Palestine Ethnographic Society." She collaborated on an interactive documentary "Jerusalem We Are Here," which takes participants on a walking tour of a neighborhood in Jerusalem past and present, and presents a map that documents the houses in the neighborhood with their documents, photos, and stories. Hajjar-Halaby has written a parenting book, a book on her classroom practice and has a new book coming out in May entitled, "In My Mother's Footsteps: A Palestinian Refugee Returns Home."


Book Information
ISBN 9781909770645
Author Mona Hajjar Halaby
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Thread
Publisher Octopus Publishing Group
Weight(grams) 260g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 22mm