West of the Jordan

This book is real and touching on so many levels. I can see and touch the characters and feel their pain with each turn of the pages. I must say that I was initially deceived by the simplistic language in rendering the story - only to realize that the writer had no choice but to simplify the complex in a way that was palatable for those of us not from the Arab-Muslim world. And while I do not come from the East, many of the scenes mirror my own cultural experience and held a fascination in itself. It also reassures me that in the scope of things, we are more similar than different. I was also amazed by the speed of reading and saddened when I realized that the pages were all almost read.

This is an excellent book that will really get to your heart. A must for Asian Literature students. I bought it using a coupon from UnderTag.com, so it was almost free for me.

I read this book in many of it's stages; it combines the writers maturity and artistic complexity along with the ability to present complex characters on a simple and attractive plate of interwoven stories. If you really wanna know what it means to be a palestinian girl living under constant deprivation of stable mental conditions .. read this book.

This terrific book depicts the everyday life of young Arab girls in the U.S. and the Middle East. The story alternates between four cousins whose problems are both familiar and particular to their culture. The writing is lush and exotic. I recommend this book to anyone, but particularly to women who want to know what life is like for Arab girls caught between two worlds -- and who want to read a good story!