Product Description

Surprisingly funny, and refreshingly different from any other writings on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Sharon and My Mother-in-Law, describes Suad Amiry's experience of living on the West Bank from the early eighties to the present. Amiry tells us about the life and gossip of her neighbourhood in Ramallah, her moving family history and the struggle to live a normal life in an insane situation; from the impossibility of acquiring gas masks during the first Gulf War to her dog acquiring a Jerusalem Passport when thousands of Palestinians couldn't. The book contains a diary Amiry kept during the Israeli invasion of Ramallah in March 2002, when her feisty 92-year-old mother-in-law came to live with them and we learn how daily chores such as buying food and visiting friends and relatives become Herculean tasks for anyone living in a state of siege. With a wickedly sharp ear for dialogue, and an eye for telling details of human behavior, Suad Amiry has written a wonderful and very funny book about the absurdity (and agony) of life in the Occupied Territories.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #145177 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

The Sunday Times
'Extremely funny...provides unique insights into life under occupation. This powerful little volume should be required reading for American neocons'

Daily Mail
‘Spirited, thought-provoking and shockingly entertaining. Amiry knows how to end a story with laughter...gives hope for the region’

Observer
‘A refreshingly funny account of the absurdities of everyday life in occupied territories’

Customer Reviews

A stunning book
In this wonderfully witty narrative, Amiry reveals herself to be a gifted storyteller. I alternated between laughing and crying as I read the vignettes surrounding her daily life in Ramallah. These range from suffering under curfew alone with her mother-in-law, to rattling Israeli soldiers with a disarming stare, to attending a fundraiser featuring campy Palestinian items in order to bail out a friend who had been thrown in jail on false charges. Amiry brings to life the day-to-day human experience of living under occupation. In doing so, she makes a significant contribution to both literature and to our understanding of the Palestinian condition.

Refreshing,witty,tragic
I very much enjoyed reading this book, It portrays the realities of living under Israeli occupation without going into the political details of the conflict. It is humane,witty, tragic.I highly rcommended it to anyone interested in learning about the harsh daily reality of Palestinian lives.

Hilarious, Witty and Thought Provoking!
I have read this book in one sitting. I have followed the Palestinian struggle for many years now, and this might be the first book I have read that does not make one feel guilty or that the Palestinians are "victims."

This book is simply written, easy to read, full of power and strength. Brilliant!

Of course, when one follows the Palestinian struggle for liberty and ending Israeli occupation, one cannot be support the Palestinians. But this book clearly tells one why the Palestinians' deserve one's and the world's support. Ms. Amiry tells stories about falling in love, neighborhood stories, going to university, listening to music, tolerating mothers in-law, children playing, shopping... all of which are events of any body's life, one takes them for granted. Therefore, we can all relate to her stories. Suddenly, the Palestinians seem to live in a world just like ours- they want to do what we can do every day of our lives.

Ms. Amiry tells stories of survival, love, struggle, life, and being alive under occupation.

I recommend this book to all those who want to learn more about Palestinians' life under Israeli occupation. I also recommend it to those who still support Israel despite all that is happening.

I felt empowered reading Ms. Amiry's book. I cried and I laughed. I could relate to her stories, although I do not live under Israel's occupation.

Wonderful work!