My People Shall Live: The Autobiography of a Revolutionary by Leila Khaled

Review by Clara Kaul

The Short: Published in 1973, this autobiography tells the story of Palestinian freedom fighter Leila Khaled coming of age under Israeli occupation. It challenges celebratory accounts of Israel’s history and offers the often overlooked perspective of a Palestinian woman.

The Long: A deeply political text, the autobiography was written a few years after Leila Khaled hijacked a plane flying from Italy to Israel. Khaled became internationally known as the first woman to hijack a plane and as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The autobiography operates as both a political call to action and autobiographical narrative of a revolutionary.

To Read or Not to Read: Read! It is so important to learn about history from the people most impacted; in this case, a Palestinian revolutionary woman. The writing is engaging and provides necessary historical context about the Israeli occupation.