|
Categories: Science fiction Fantasy Mystery Romance Business Classic Sports Young adult Humor Memoirs See all categories... |
|
Categories: Science fiction Fantasy Mystery Romance Business Classic Sports Young adult Humor Memoirs See all categories... |
"Wild Thorns" is about the lives of Palestinians living under the Israeli occupation in the West Bank. This book is definitely one of my personal favorites. Reading it, I was reminded of the way that ordinary people live under occupation in Kashmir, my homeland. So on a personal level, this book definitely resonated with me.The author presents the clashing and sometimes overlapping views of a number of Palestinians as they respond to the Israeli occupation. The main character, Usama, returns to Palestine after spending years abroad in another Arab country. He is appalled to find that many of his fellow Palestinians have somehow adjusted to life under the occupation. He especially cannot understand why some of his fellow citizens would cross the border and work in Israel, and he sees that as playing a part to the subjugation. Thus, he is on a mission to blow up a bus full of Palestinians who are on their way to work in Israel. The book is complex on so many different levels. It's hard at first to figure out the biases of the author, as she succeeds is presenting the views of those who hold very divergent views on how to best respond to the occupation. I think this book is an excellent portrayal of life under occupation and shows that "resistance" can and does come in different forms. Definitely a must-read.