Going Home: A Walk Through Fifty Years of Occupation by Raja Shehadah

Review by Julia Smith

The short:

Raja Shehadah invites readers in as he walks to his office in Ramallah on the 50th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The long:

Human rights activist, lawyer, and founder of the Al Haq organization, Shehadah narrates his memoir alongside the history of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. His matter-of-fact tone and visual descriptions provide readers with a visceral picture of the experience of the occupation and the pain of what has been stolen away. He particularly focuses on how the Palestinian cause and activism have changed shape between the old and new generations. The book takes on the tone of an elegy, yet simultaneously, somehow, maintains a humble hopefulness and optimism that change will come one day.

To read or not to read:

Read! Shehadah artfully intertwines the personal history of one man with the shared history of the nation.