Wild Thorns

by Sahar Khalifeh

Nur wenige Schriftsteller vermitteln einen derart tiefen Einblick in die palästinensische Seele, ihre Nöte, ihre Sorgen.« Stefan Weidner, Kölner Stadtanzeiger


Nach jahrelangem Aufenthalt in den Ölstaaten kehrt Usama in seine Heimat zurück. Schon beim Grenzübertritt wird ihm schmerzlich bewußt: dies ist nicht mehr das Land seiner Kindheit und seiner Sehnsüchte. Bald empfindet er eine tiefe Entfremdung zu den Menschen, mit denen er nun in Nablus zusammenlebt. Die Mutter vertraut auf Gott und will von Widerstand nichts wissen. Sein Vetter hat in Israel Arbeit gefunden. Sein Onkel beherrscht die Familie als patriarchalischer Familienfürst und hält gleichzeitig flammende Pressekonferenzen ab.
Mit diesem Roman trat Sahar Khalifa über Nacht in die erste Reihe der modernen arabischen Literatur.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Middle East, Historical, Literary Fiction, Novels, Israel

Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Sahar Khalifeh (Arabic: سحر خليفة ; also as Sahar Khalifa in French, German, Italian) is a Palestinian writer.

She has written eleven novels, which have been translated into English, French, Hebrew, German, Spanish, and many other languages. One of her best-known works is the novel Wild Thorns (1976). She has won international prizes, including the 2006 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature, for The Image, the Icon, and the Covenant.

Sahar Khalifeh is the founder of the Women's Affairs Center in Nablus. She received her B.A. degree in English & American Literature from Birzeit University (Palestine, 1977), an M.A. from the The University of North Carolina (USA, 1982) and a PhD in Women Studies & American Women’s Literature from the University of Iowa (USA,1988).

Reviews

[Hafsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Wild Thorns" is about the lives of Palestinians living under the Israeli occupation in the West Bank. This book is definitely one of my personal favorites. Reading it, I was reminded of the way that ordinary people live under occupation in Kashmir, my homeland. So on a personal level, this book definitely resonated with me.

The author presents the clashing and sometimes overlapping views of a number of Palestinians as they respond to the Israeli occupation. The main character, Usama, returns to Palestine after spending years abroad in another Arab country. He is appalled to find that many of his fellow Palestinians have somehow adjusted to life under the occupation. He especially cannot understand why some of his fellow citizens would cross the border and work in Israel, and he sees that as playing a part to the subjugation. Thus, he is on a mission to blow up a bus full of Palestinians who are on their way to work in Israel.

The book is complex on so many different levels. It's hard at first to figure out the biases of the author, as she succeeds is presenting the views of those who hold very divergent views on how to best respond to the occupation.

I think this book is an excellent portrayal of life under occupation and shows that "resistance" can and does come in different forms. Definitely a must-read.

[Ratko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Сахар Халифа је једна од најпознатијих палестинских књижевница, а ово јој је најпознатији роман.

Књижевни квалитет овде је ипак у сенци онога што Халифа жели да нам пренесе - живот Палестинаца под окупацијом, њихова инертност и помиреност са таквим стањем, упркос свакодневној опресији, па и злочинима Израелаца, као и зависност од полулегалних и слабо плаћених послова на које су Палестинци приморани да иду на "непријатељску" територију Израела.

Халифа ће у овом роману поставити питање који је прави начин борбе и да ли такав уопште постоји. Да ли је оправдано спроводити и терористичке акције зарад "виших циљева".
Ликови су само шаблони, типови, а такви су и њихови унутрашњи монолози, који су више писани кап порука свом народу, него што заиста одражавају унутрашње дилеме и борбе.

Свеједно, занимљиво сведочанство једног времена (ако се не варам, у питању су седамдесете године ХХ века), мада, као што знамо, нису се ствари од тада много промениле.

[عبدُ الرَّحمن · Rating 5 out of 5]

رواية ممتازة تجول في ثنايا العقل الفلسطيني والناس تحت الاحتلال وجدلية الصمود والهروب، المقاومة والتسليم، التصنيع الوطني ومقاطعة الاحتلال

شخصيات توحي بحال القيادة المهترئة والسابحة في خيالات الماضي وانتصارات الجدود معمية عن قذارة الواقع والوحل الذي يغيص فيه الشعب. والشباب الثوري المنشغل في الايدلوجيات الثورية حول العالم ومتيمون بحب الوطن ولكنهم على غير وعي كاف بمأساة الناس العاديين.
رغبة الانتقام من الجلاد؟ رغبة السلام وأحلام الانسانية برغم "النجوم" على كتف الضابط؟
وشخصيات تمثل حال العامة التي قد تكون طعنة في خاصرة الوطن وفي لحظة تغدو شوكة في حلق العدو. من يعيل أطفالا ولايدري ما يجري خارج الوطن من تحولات ثورية ولا يسمع إلا خطب القادة العصماء الجوفاء: هل يعمل في المستوطنات من اجل لقمة العيش؟ أم يأكل حروف كلمات ذوي الكروش المنتفخة؟ أم يحمل هم الوطن على كتفه فالأقوياء لا يطأطئون؟

أبرزت الرواية الادورار المتعددة والمتناقضة أحيانا للمرأة الفلسطينية، من الثائرة التي تفتش وتهان على الجسر، وتؤرق مضجع الغزاة .إلى المسكينة المتكومة في بيتها وتخاف على أولادها من الاحتلال، إلى المتيمة بالثوار والثورة وتخشى مواجة أبيها في قرار زوجها من رجل لا تعرفه.

وأخيرا، الطفل (الجيل القادم) الذي يقلب المعادلة وينسف الهياكل العفنة ويعد الحطب في موقد الثورة من جديد بعد أن جمده الصقيع

سحر خليفة، طرحت تساؤلات هامة بالنسبة لنا، أجابت البعض وتركت بعضها بحاجة إلى إجابة

[Samah (samahcanread_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

what is the right way to resist?

read during #ReadPalestine Week (27th Nov - 5th Dec)

Wild Thorns begs this question; is the mere existence in the face of the occupation a resistance, or violence resistance is the right way? Our protagonist, Usama, comes back to the West Bank from the Golf countries to find a different Palestine. According to him, Palestinians who are working with Israelis are betraying their cause and nationalism. His cousin is one of them, abandoning his farm to work in Israelis factories.

The book highlights the struggle and the layers of war and the Israeli occupation of Palestine within Palestinian communities. Beside the daily oppression by the IOF, Palestinians are like any other people; struggling to make ends meets, falling in love and trying to make the best of their lives. Usama is the embodiment of the angry resentment many youths have against their oppressors, to the point he came to Nablus to blow one of the buses taking Palestinians from the West Bank to work in the occupied lands by Israel.

Wild Throns is originally published in Arabic under the name , meaning Cacti. Al-Subar in arabic is close to the word "Sabr", which means patience. Patience is a theme dominant in this book; Usama and later his cousin, Basil, are impatient to fight back the IOF. His other cousin, Adil, is patient in his arguments with Usama who is urging him to join the resistance.

I don't think I've read a very nuanced book like this one, giving the characters more layers and making him human in the eye of the reader and not just names on paper.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But I ask you, is it possible to grow roses from thorns?"

A groundbreaking early novel about life under the Israeli occupation in the West Bank. It essentially asks how Palestinians deal with the feeling of "قهر" - the soul-crushing frustration, grief, tiredness and anger that come from living under violent colonial apartheid. Many characters in this book see no other option but to become tough as thorns. Disgusted by the complacency of their people, they join the armed resistance and carry out attacks. "But I ask you, is it possible to grow roses from thorns?"

[Laura Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild Thorns is a powerful novel by Sahar Khalifeh that captures the complexities of the Israeli occupied West Bank through the use of dynamic male characters such as Usama and his cousin Adil. The weight in the novel comes from the multiple layers of narrative that complicate simplistic views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Khalifeh's use of these male narratives allows readers to see two sides of the same coin. The novel opens with Usama's perspective as he returns to the West Bank in order to complete his mission of blowing up the buses that transport the Palestinian workers into Israel. However, when he comes back home, Usama realizes that the reality of life in Palestine is much different than what he envisioned from the outside. Usama represents the resistance of Israeli occupation from outside of Palestine. He believes in fighting for the nation of Palestine and actively resisting the Israeli occupation.
In contrast of Usama, Adil's narrative is one of a Palestinian worker who relies on his occupation in Israel to support his family. Adil's job causes him to lack the same hatred that Usama feels towards Israelis despite his people's suffering. Although both characters struggle with the same situation of stolen land, their perspectives produce widely different views of their homeland. Their narratives and the narratives of the other men in the novel complicate and challenge social dynamics surrounding the occupation of the West Bank.
However, Khalifeh's novel is not solely about the men and politics of occupied land. It is also about the Palestinian women and their role in the occupation. Khalifeh uses the male voice to her advantage by manipulating the men's narratives to depict their weaknesses, weaknesses of the system itself, and the strength of the women who run the households when their husbands are in jail.
Although Wild Thorns was originally written in Arabic for a primarily Arab audience, Khalifeh's choice to translate the novel to English creates a danger for it to be read through an orientalist lens. Khalifeh's honest and vivid portrayal of daily life in the West Bank makes it easy for the reader to become lost in the story of the novel as if they are getting access into the life of occupied Palestine. This consumability can be problematic because it gives readers an opportunity to further ideas that men's voices are the only voices with power, ignore women's narratives, and leave the reader with little understanding of Palestinian women's existence during occupation. However, Khalifeh uses frequent dialogue and change in narrators in order to subvert the consumability of the language and forces the audience to think carefully about the context and purpose of each man's story.
This novel is a valuable read for any class studying the complexities of Arab women writers or for any person seeking to understand the depth of the Israeli occupation in Palestine. I enjoyed the layers of Khalifeh's craft and the multifaceted narratives of each character. Wild Thorns is a novel that I appreciate due to Khalifeh's amazing artistry of language, dialogue, and poetry, but also for its ability to encourage an understanding of the Palestine's occupation through multiple lenses.

[Nikhil · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.

A well-written and nuanced narrative of the compromises of life under occupation and the forms resistance and survival can take. The text holds no Romantic portrayal with armed resistance — it achieves little, and causes disruptions and destruction in every day life. The characters who espouse it are skewered skillfully — Usama, arrogant and ignorant, trying to use armed struggle as a way to make sense of him leaving his home; Basil, young and obsessed with destructive forms of masculinity.

The characters in the book are deeply structured. Adil, trying to make the best of his circumstances and obligations that slowly drown him in the mire. Zuhdi, angry and confused, solid only on old ties of friendship and his commitment to his family. Basil, ultimately redeemed when he loses his youthful pretensions, articulates truth to collapse lies around him, and exits with a leap of faith. I do think the text could have benefited more with a main character that was a collaborator.

The text reminded me of Men in the Sun, in its ambivalent position towards “the cause”. I find this ambivalence healthy, particularly when it does not simultaneously fall into the trap of a false equivalence between flawed resistance and colonialism.

The text remains an eloquent portrayal of how people try to build and structure ordinary lives, both meaningful and stifling, in an environment that tries to dehumanize them.

[دينـا · Rating 5 out of 5]

تتناول هذه الرواية موضوعا شائكا اجادت سحر عرضه باسلوبها البسيط الممتع ، فلسطينيو الداخل والخارج في مواجهة صريحة ، مواجهة تعشش في زوايا مخبئة دائما لكن في الصبار عرضتها سحر بصراحتها المعهودة ولم تأل جهدا في اسقاطتها العظيمة
اسامة الكرمي شاب عائد الى بلاده بعد ان نال لم الشمل واخيرا ، يعود ليجد اهله انشغلوا بقوت يومهم عن قضيتهم ، تكالبوا على بعضهم ف لم يعد العمل في اسرائيل يشكل مشكلة عندهم ، هكذا يفعل الاحتلال ، يميت ما هو اكثر من الجسد ، يميت الروح ببطئ شديد ، يميت القيم والمعاني ويخلق الازداوجية واللاهوية
يرفض اسامه هذا التواطئ اللامعلن ، هذه اللزوجة العفنه ، ولكن لاصحابه حججهم ، فمن في الخارج انشغلوا ايضا بقوتهم ونسوا انفسهم ، فلماذا ينتظرون التضحية منا نحن وحسب ؟
صراع عميق تعرضه لنا سحر خليفة في صبارها القاسي ، تحار مع من تقف ؟ وهل يجب ان نجد دوما مكان نقف فيه ؟ اليس للحقيقه اكثر من بعد ؟ ام ان بعض الامور لا تقاس بنسيبة الحياة بل بثبات المطلق وان كان الثمن الروح ..
؟!

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt deeply personal, full of emotion and personality and big characters. Immediately I was drawn in by the writing, it was easy to lose yourself in this book and the rich settings. There were many moments where my heart was in my mouth, desperately searching the page for answers. Moving and profoundly written.

[Amid عميد · Rating 5 out of 5]

أول رواية أقرأها لكاتبة من مدينتي نابلس. نُشرت الرواية في السبعينيات وتحكي قصة أسامة الذي يسافر بعد نكسة 1967 ويعود بعد خمس سنوات ليتفاجأ بتغير الحياة في نابلس واعتياد الناس على الاحتلال. يكتشف القارئ أن أسامة كان يتدرب مع الفدائيين ويعود لتنفيذ مهمة تفجير حافلات العمال الفلسطينيين الذين يعملون في إسرائيل، معتبرًا إياهم خونة.

من الصعب تحديد موقف الكاتبة بين دعم المقاومة أو العمال، إذ تُظهر الرواية تبريرات الشخصيات لمواقفها. ما يعجبني هو جرأتها في نقد الجانب الفلسطيني، على عكس التمجيد المعتاد. الرواية تسلط الضوء على الطبقية وصعوبة المعيشة في الضفة الغربية، بينما بائعو الوطنية يتفلسفون على من يسعى لتأمين قوت يومه.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a deeply personal and complex book. This is about the lives of several people and families living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank. She paints a vivid picture of how different people react to such traumatic circumstances and how people choose to (and are able to) resist. Definitely a book that makes you feel.

[Hanan Muzaffar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very powerful novel. Reading this on day 62 of the attack on Gaza is frustrating. It gives a sense of desperation that Palestine will never be free, that Palestinian men and women fighting for their land will always be labeled terrorists, and that no amount of explanation for these so called terrorist act will change the world. The novel aims to make us question the values of peace, friendship, loyalty, family when they are tested against an unjust system. It reminds us that nothing is illegal in an unjust world, truly lex iniusta non est lex, but it’s a reminder, more than 40 years after the novel was published, that resonates with despair. We know there is no justice. Yet we continue condemning so called evil acts or murder.
The characters are confused, reflecting the confusion of their situation under occupation. They clash, as they should. What better way to show the world the effects of being forced out of your own land?

[Arpana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild Thorns by Sahar Khalifeh is my new book recommendation! It delicately handles the topic of how different people handle their country/community being occupied. Wild Thorns is accessible, engaging, and emotional.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worth reading for the subject matter, but characters, dialogue fall flat.

[Sophia Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked learning about the complexity of living under Israeli occupation. Such a spectrum of mindsets and forms of resistance among the Palestinians. Crazy how this conflict has only grown worse since this book was written in the 70s. Heartbreaking

[farahxreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

[Nea Poulain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que gran libro. Sobre todo ese pedazo de Zuzhi de Tell my mother I died a martyr y la voz interna de Usama. Es buenísimo.

[Carlos De La Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m moving towards the light along the dark paths of anger

[Bella B · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an overtly political act to take a side in a conflict, especially in one as fraught with moral quagmires as the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine. But what about simultaneously taking and critiquing both sides while living within the society of one side? This is exactly what Sahar Khalifeh does in her introspective firecracker of a novel, "Wild Thorns."

The novel is primarily told from the perspective of Usama, a young man who once aspired to be a poet, but is now thrust into the position of guerilla combatant due to the increasingly hostile and violent environment he lives in. Readers are forced to bear witness to this man's aspirations to be a lover, as opposed to a fighter, repeatedly get dashed against the rocks, as he spirals into the cycle of violence that is all too prevalent in the conflict between these two warring states.

Khalifeh's use of male protagonists (there are two others, Adil and Zudhi,) is particularly notable in telling this story, as it gives her an opportunity to produce some salient points in relation to men's perspectives of war and of manhood, and how those can often act as a detriment to society as a whole. We see the actions of Usama and some of the other men in this book get brought into question and criticized by the supporting female cast, and we see how stabbings and bombings end up doing more harm than good. Male perspective is used to subvert how we perceive masculinity during times of crisis, which is a novel twist.

Also noteworthy is the somewhat neutral tone Khalifeh takes. While, clearly, Israel's subjugation of Palestine is something that's difficult to look at in an objective light, Khalifeh manages to humanize Israeli citizens while criticizing the acts of violence carried out by their military. Likewise, she manages to both show the collective suffering of Palestine, while still harshly damning acts of violence being perpetrated by guerilla combatants. Khalifeh is not concerned, it seems, with choosing a side, but with demonstrating the real human suffering and cost of war in general. In particular, the caustic side effects of caustic masculine warfare.

One particular gripe I have with the novel, however, comes with that preoccupation on men. Most of the women in the novel feel largely ancillary. Only one particular woman stands out, and even then, she is mostly a reactant to the actions of the men in the novel, and only occasionally a catalyst for action. While I understand the rationale behind having most of the women being supports (it's a critique of men's preoccupation with destroying the enemy as opposed to actually listening to the needs of their populace,) it sometimes treads the line of feeling like erasure. While, of course, I doubt that a woman from Palestine would actively erase other Palestinian women's voices, it nevertheless would be nice to see more tangible, substantial female characters.

Aside from that, however, "Wild Thorns" succeeds because it seems like it accomplishes what Khalifeh set out to do from the outside. It manages to do interesting things with a male protagonist, and succeeds in giving a different, less binary perception of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine. It is a fast, furious read that raises a wealth of questions and valid points, and for that, it's worthy of a recommendation.

[Malikah French · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel, published in 1985, is set in the West Bank during a time of Israeli occupation. It follows Usama as he returns home from living abroad for several years. Filled with specific notions of proper Palestinian resistance, he begins to realize that his expectations are not met by his friends, family, or peers. Although much more complex than I am letting on, this work explores relationships between people and their communities, their nations, and ultimately the world.
The text is provocative in both diction and subject matter. Khalifeh's writing style engages the reader, highlighting multiple senses in various scenes. An example of this is the initial scene at the airport; Usama is trying to make his way through security in order to return home, while describing his surroundings. The reader's auditory senses are stimulated from the screams coming from the girl being tortured and the officer questioning Usama, while the descriptions of the various rooms engage your visual senses. This scene is one of the reasons I continued to read the book. The images became so vivid that I felt as though I were there.
The emphasis that I place on the real world application of this text demonstrates the relationship it should have with the rest of the world. One of the most compelling components of the text are the various forms of resistance. These include spoken, violent resistance, such as Usama's, religious faith, such as Usama's mother, and everything in between. This discourse brought a realistic element to the text because its applicable to Western life. Seldom are there obvious parallels between texts by Arab women writers and Western society. However, this element of the text is showing Orientalist audiences that similar to their own societies, every individual does not think or respond the same. This undermines our society's association between 9/11 and Muslims, the Middle East, or anyone upholding our stereotypes.
The problem with the text is the expectation that it creates in Western audiences for a realistic image of the Israeli occupation. We begin to accept Khalifeh's tale as truthful instead of genuine; it is imperative to me that readers understand that every story has two sides. Because we typically only hear one side, it becomes normal to assume this rendition as the truth. It is our duty as readers to understand that this is just one story amongst an infinite amount of others. As readers, we are morally responsible to treat it as such. This note of caution is not intended to undermine the power of the text because this book is an extraordinary work of literature that does offer insight into said perspective. And because it does that, it has immeasurable value.
Overall, I would highly recommend not only reading this book, but thinking about how it can relate to your life. Don't fall victim to Western ideologies that alienate you from personally relating to what Khalifeh is saying and don't negate your position in the global community. This text is a good place to start.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vivid and powerful novel of the different experiences and worldviews of Palestinians living under occupation. Usma left Palestine and has now returned with rage and revenge in his heart, not only for the Israelis but those Palestinians who he sees as traitors for working across the border. Standing in contrast to him is Adil and many others who need this work to support their families.

The novel shows how nothing is ever black and white and that people's lives are complex especially when living in an occupied situation, never knowing whose house will be bombed because of suspected 'terrorist' activity, when supply chains will dry up. They still want to get married and have a family, they still want education and a better future and sometimes compromises have to be made for this. There is tension in the novel as constant arguments and discussions take place and it moves towards a perhaps inevitable conclusion.

[Leilani Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for my post-colonialism class. Written by an Arab woman, it tells the story of the Israeli occupation of Palestine through the eyes of two cousins, one who believes in violent resistance and one who just believes in surviving day to day. Reading fiction such as these is a great way to understand sometimes complicated and confusing historical events in a human way. I recommend it to anyone looking to understand what the Palestians are going through in the struggle for their land.

[Nancy Condon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m glad I read this for the historical perspective. I suspect it lost a lot in the translation so it was not well written. The sadness and hopelessness does come through however. Young Palestinians like Usama and Basil are idealistic
But in the end it is people like Adil that keeps the family alive. I just wondered, why stay????

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the final book on Slingshot’s books to read before they get burnt (or something like that) list, and probably my favorite.

Wild Thorns was published in 1976 in Arabic, and was translated into English fairly recently (I think). It takes place in Palestine and is a story told through the eyes of a few Palestinians living in occupied territories. Some are actively fighting back against the Israeli occupiers, while other’s aren’t; but all are angry and have some kind of analysis of the horrid situation. This was almost 50 years ago, and the situation has gotten exponentially worse, but reading this book sure filled me with anger and despair.

Khalifeh writes in a simple, yet very deep way. The way she manages to convey the feelings of the freedom fighters and the more resigned folks who have taken jobs within “Israel” to support their families, is relatable. Without using any antisemitism or exaggeration, she makes the reader feel the desperation of people just trying to live their lives while constantly being thrown in jail, murdered, and having all of their possessions destroyed or stolen. The descriptions of having to go through checkpoints or being in prison for doing nothing other than being Palestinian is better than any nonfiction account I’ve read.

This is a book that everyone who has any interest in the g*n0c*dE should definitely read. The hopefulness expressed by many characters in this book is absolutely heartbreaking to anyone who has ability to feel. I couldn’t escape the thought that I’m reading something by a person who is of a culture that is getting erased right before our eyes while the world sits around and debates over who the next leader of the world will be, like it matters.

[Nidda (Bücherkarawane) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sahar Khalifehs Roman Der Feigenkaktus ist ein eindringliches Werk, das die vielschichtigen Realitäten des Lebens im israelisch besetzten Westjordanland in den Vordergrund rückt. Im Zentrum stehen Figuren wie Usama und sein Cousin Adil, deren unterschiedliche Lebenswege und Haltungen die Spannungen innerhalb der palästinensischen Gesellschaft sichtbar machen. Usama kehrt voller Wut und Widerstandsgedanken aus dem Ausland zurück und ist fest entschlossen, durch Gewalt ein Zeichen gegen die Besatzung zu setzen. Für ihn bedeutet Loyalität zur Heimat, aktiv gegen die israelische Präsenz zu kämpfen. Ganz anders verhält es sich bei Adil, der trotz der Unterdrückung auf Arbeit in Israel angewiesen ist, um seine Familie zu ernähren. Seine Perspektive zeigt, dass Überleben und pragmatisches Handeln oft wichtiger erscheinen als der offene Widerstand.
Khalifeh macht deutlich, dass es nicht nur um Männer und ihre politischen Kämpfe geht. Vielmehr zeigt sie, wie sehr Frauen das Rückgrat der Gesellschaft bilden, besonders wenn Männer durch Gefängnis oder Widerstand aus dem Alltag gerissen werden. Indem sie die männlichen Stimmen nutzt, legt sie zugleich deren Schwächen offen und hebt die Stärke der Frauen hervor, die im Schatten der Besatzung das Leben weitertragen.
Der Roman eröffnet damit zentrale Fragen, die weit über die Handlung hinausweisen. Ist es schon Widerstand, allein unter der Besatzung zu überleben, oder ist es notwendig, den bewaffneten Kampf zu führen? Khalifeh zwingt ihre Lesenden, sich mit dieser Spannung auseinanderzusetzen, ohne einfache Antworten zu liefern.

Gleichzeitig zeigt Khalifeh in ihren Erzählungen auch die ökonomische Dimension der Besatzung. Die Abhängigkeit von Arbeit in Israel spaltet die palästinensische Gesellschaft und schwächt den Widerstand, da Menschen gezwungen sind, bei ihrem Unterdrücker zu arbeiten, nur um ihre Familien zu ernähren. Der Arbeitsmarkt wird so zu einem Instrument der Kontrolle, das die Menschen nicht nur materiell, sondern auch politisch bindet. Dies verweist auf eine Klassenanalyse, die deutlich macht, dass es hier nicht allein um nationale Fragen geht, sondern auch um die Ausbeutung einer Arbeitskraft, die unter prekären und entwürdigenden Bedingungen stattfindet. Khalifeh macht das besonders sichtbar in der Szene eines Arbeitsunfalls, bei dem dem verletzten Arbeiter jede Hilfe verweigert wird, weil palästinensische Beschäftigte keine Versicherung besitzen. Solche Episoden zeigen, dass Unterdrückung und Ausbeutung Hand in Hand gehen und dass Widerstand auch in dieser Dimension gedacht werden muss.
Khalifehs Sprache, ihre lebendige Darstellung von Dialogen und ihre poetische Bildkraft machen den Roman zu mehr als nur einer Schilderung der Besatzung. Es ist ein Werk, das sowohl die alltägliche Realität der Palästinenserinnen und Palästinenser als auch die inneren Spannungen zwischen Widerstand, Anpassung und Überleben greifbar werden lässt.

Der Feigenkaktus ist damit nicht nur eine literarische Erfahrung, sondern auch ein wichtiger Beitrag zum Verständnis der vielschichtigen Wirklichkeiten in Palästina.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The entire time I was reading this, an excerpt from Noam Chomsky’s “Fateful Triangle” stayed at the forefront of my mind:

“Shehadeh distinguishes three ways of responding to occupation. The first is that of blind hate, the second, mute submission. To the captive population, the first way is that of the freedom fighter, the second, that of the quisling.
To the conqueror, the first way, is that of the terrorist, the second, that of the moderate. The paymasters keep to the rhetoric of the conqueror, naturally.

What then is the third way? That is the way of the Samid, the steadfast one, who watches his home turned into a prison. You choose to stay in that prison, because it is your home, and because you fear that, if you leave, your jailer will not allow you to return. Living like this, you must constantly resist the twin temptations of either acquiescing in the jailers plan in numb despair, or becoming crazed by consuming hatred for your jailer and yourself, the prisoner.”

This short novel perfectly encapsulates with striking accuracy and nuance, the many layers of different Palestinians living under occupation. And although every story arc ended, the overwhelming and looming specter of settler colonialism, like a suffocating blanket, is ever present and ever tragic.

[Aryan Ranjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occupation or disintegration? Obey the rules of an oppressive, unjust system or change the system? Blame the Israeli soldiers for following orders or blame the Palestinian Resistance for doing the same? Can you be a part of the fight without fighting? Patience or rushing into the fight?

Every character mentioned -- Usama, Adil, Basil, Zehdi, among others -- goes through nuanced transformations, grappling with these existential questions. Each decision they make or refuse to make reflects the broader moral and social dilemmas of life under occupation. The novel's strength is not in providing easy answers to these questions. Rather, the complexity comes through its contradictions. Because, by the end, regardless of each character's individual decisions, contempt, and hope for a better life, for a return back to the past, none end up content. And such is the unfortunate reality.

[Dorthe Svendsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Det var veldig rart å lese disse to bøkene parallellt. Jeg har kjent mye på maktesløshet når jeg har lest begge. Det er fint å lese bøker som fremmer følelser, for da beveger de på noe hos meg. Ingen av bøkene får toppkarakter. Historiene i begge bøker forteller meg noe om hvordan det er å være underlagt noen andres makt, og at det er helt forferdelig. Jeg tror vi alle har godt av å føle litt på det, selv om få av oss noen sinne vil klare å sette seg inn i det (simon strangers siste museumsbok og denne).

Noen sider er litt fantastiske og poetiske i sitt språk, de synes jeg er litt vanskelige å ta. Noen er så lette å ta at de går rett inn i hjerterota og fremmer sinne. Verdt en titt!

[n a b ! l a · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores the impact of the occupation of Palestine not only on the external conflict with the Israeli community, but also on the internal dynamics within the Palestinian community itself. These dynamics, influenced by external pressures, are likely to play a significant role in shaping the characters' identities and actions. Khalifeh's exploration of these psychological factors provides readers with a nuanced understanding of the human experience in the context of colonization.

[Sara R · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Have you ever heard of a people that welcomes disaster with cries of joy?'
'Yes, I have. I swear I have.'

Maddening, enraging, multi-layered, beautiful, never shying away from complexity. Set in Palestine in the '70s, it's an unflinching, unsentimental and yet soul-crushing look at a group of people under the Israeli occupation.

This is not an easy book to read, both because io the content and because the writing is complex - fragmented, without clear signposting, rich with repetition and somehow also economical. I found the translation gorgeous.