An eye-witness account of the Intifada, by a journalist who lived in the West Bank for a full year, learning the ways of the Palestinians and experiencing the harsh realities of Israeli occupation
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From Winternitz (East Along the Equator, 1987)--an absorbing, often moving, eyewitness account of a West Bank village's growing involvement with the Intifada. In an effort to understand Palestinian concerns, the author spent a year, beginning in the spring of 1988, immersing herself in the life of Nahalin, a seemingly quiet ``backwater'' of 4,000 near Bethlehem. Concentrating on the day-to-day activities of a simple farming community while remaining alert to odd and revealing scraps of conversation, Winternitz does an admirable job of conveying the sense of entrapment that pushes her subjects into political activism. Living in a valley surrounded by Israeli outposts, the villagers have no recourse when their carefully tended olive trees are bulldozed for settlement development. At the same time, bored and frustrated teenagers, their schools paradoxically closed to stem unrest, easily drift into the ranks of stone-throwing shabab (literally, ``the boys'')--''the makeshift army of the intifada.'' Unsurprisingly, nearly every member of the village is revealed as aligned with one or the other of the two main PLO factions--Yasir Arafat's Fatah and George Habash's more militant Jebha. In a succession of vivid, alternately pastoral and troubling scenes, the narrative moves from the intricacies of native embroidery to the perfunctory justice of Israeli military courts and, finally, to an apparently unprovoked attack by restless Border Police. Unlike Michael Gorkin in his excellent study of a Palestinian village in Israel (Days of Honey, Days of Onion, p. 907), however, Winternitz too often strays from the challenges facing the Palestinians to her own concerns, and fails to offer the deeper political analysis necessary for a truly balanced account. Yet the testimony of the villagers, caught between a learned hopelessness (``...there is no future,'' notes one local leader) and a fervent desire for peace, gives the work urgency and importance. A flawed but worthwhile addition, then, to current Middle East reportage. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Moving to a Palestinian village on the West Bank in 1988 gave Winternitz an opportunity to watch the intifada unfold and to observe Israeli soldiers and international journalists intrude on what had been a quiet backwater. A local extended family welcomed her with their traditional dignity and warmth until the tempo of village life changed drastically under the pressure of Israeli army occupation and harassment, the increasing resistance of the village youth, and the relentless construction of an Israeli housing project. Growing political tension erupted in an armed military assault that left several villagers dead, others wounded, and the whole community devastated by anger and despair. Although the author's style is sometimes intrusive, she skillfully conveys the human character of the village and the realities driving the Palestinians to fury and rebellion. This book complements Michael Gorkin's Days of Honey, Days of Onion ( LJ 9/15/91), whose focus on an Israeli Arab village emphasizes social and cultural qualities in contrast to the more political approach here. Both are recommended.
- Elizabeth R. Hayford, Associated Colls. of the Midwest, Chicago
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: Fair. Buy with confidence! Book is in acceptable condition with wear to the pages, binding, and some marks within 0.65. Seller Inventory # bk0871134861xvz189zvxacp
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Book Deals, Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Good condition. This is the average used book, that has all pages or leaves present, but may include writing. Book may be ex-library with stamps and stickers. 0.65. Seller Inventory # 353-0871134861-gdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: The Maryland Book Bank, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Used - Very Good. Seller Inventory # 3-K-2-1694
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GF Books, Inc., Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. 0.65. Seller Inventory # 0871134861-2-3
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: very good. Very Good Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think_very_0871134861
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldenDragon, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: very good. Very Good Copy. Fast Shipment. Seller Inventory # SilverDragon0871134861
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldenWavesOfBooks, Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0871134861
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0871134861
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Front Cover Books, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0871134861
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Wizard Books, Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0871134861
Quantity: 1 available