The Sea Cloak

by Nayrouz Qarmout, Sasti Gotama (Translator)

“Kapan aku bisa menerobos perbatasan itu?
Kapan mereka memberiku izin untuk datang dan menemuimu?”

The Sea Cloak, kumpulan cerita pendek karya jurnalis dan aktivis hak-hak perempuan Palestina, Nayrouz Qarmout. Diambil dari pengalamannya sendiri yang tumbuh besar di kamp pengungsi Suriah serta kehidupannya saat ini di Gaza, kisah-kisah dalam buku ini bak tenunan berbagai sudut pandang berbeda tentang apa artinya menjadi seorang Palestina saat ini.

Kisah-kisah tersebut menawarkan wawasan yang langka mengenai salah satu kota yang paling banyak dibicarakan, tapi paling sedikit dipahami di Timur Tengah. Pembaca diajak mengikuti perjuangan sehari-hari anak-anak yatim piatu yang berjuang untuk bertahan hidup di tengah reruntuhan pengeboman, atau memetakan ketegangan budaya di antara berbagai generasi pengungsi di masyarakat Gaza yang terjajah selama lebih dari 7 dekade.

Kumpulan cerpen menawan ini memberikan perspektif lokal tentang kisah global, dan hal ini dapat terwujud berkat para tokoh yang berakar kuat pada hal-hal yang paling disayangi, yaitu rumah, Palestina.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Middle East, Contemporary, 21st Century, Feminism

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

https://commapress.co.uk/authors/nayr...

Reviews

[Inderjit Sanghera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qarmont forces the readers gaze onto Gaza, a city which feels suffocated, hemmed in by the various states which surround it, where its citizens attempt to live their lives in a world which has long considered both Gaza an its people as being dispensable. So 'Black Grapes' explores how a simply misunderstanding soon escalated into violence as the anger of a Palestinian man over not being paid his salary is transformed into an act of terrorism, so the chance encounter between two young men where one of them is buying flowers for Mother's Day is revisited ten years later as the one of them assassinates the other via a drone. The stories focus on how arbitrary the things which divide us, whether it be politics, race or religion are and how, if we look deeply enough, the things which unite us run far deeper.

Yet this collection of stories aren't solely political; many of them, such as 'The Long Braid' explore the frustrations of a young singer in the grip of a parochial society, or the far more whimsical 'The Sea Cloak', where a young girl just wants to sink into the soft, endless embrace of the sea, free from the worries of school and her family life. 

[Plainqoma · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of Susan Abulhawa books I would love to recommend this one. It’s a collection of short stories exploring what it means to be a Palestinian especially in Gaza.

I’m choking on my own tears. Highly recommend. 😢

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about Sea Cloak & Other Stories during Women In Translation month and was excited to find it in a bookshop I visited on holiday. It was written by Nayrouz Qarmout and translated by Perween Richards both in 2019.

The stories were engaging and brutal touching on the difficulties of life as a Palestinian in Gaza, both historically and currently. This was not an easy read and I was glad to only read a story a day to really think about it. Many of the stories all had a common thread of connections and chance meetings. I really liked how they often in a short few pages showed the same scene from two or three different perspectives which made it whole, complete. Most people need whole novels to do it as deftly and as stunningly as Qarmout does. I really enjoyed all the stories and will definitely revisit this book again

CW: child rape, suicide bombing, state sanctioned murder

[Hafsa · Rating 2 out of 5]

sometimes I want to shake people by the shoulders and tell them kissing westerners' feet won't make them care for you

[Mark Rizk Farag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful short stories that to me, resemble broken but masterfully crafted pottery. Short, masterfully crafted, sharp, beautiful, cutting and broken.

We get mere glances into the lives of every day Palestinians. Their struggles, their intergenerational traumas, their romances, their heartbreaks.

The book focuses it's attention unapologetically on women. It focuses on patriarchy, modern day settler colonialism, religious fanaticism and politics that keep them shackled.

It takes a nuanced view that remains emotive while not demonising any particular group of people and covers a wide range of topics.

As with any good anthology of short stories, it leaves you wanting more and wondering what happened to each of the characters.

I haven't read a lot of Palestinian fiction, but it's anything like this I want more!

[Juni Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bokklubb mars 2024.

Lest over to daga. Burde kanskje lest over litt lengre tid for å ta innover mæ hver historia?

The sea cloak: Om å bli voksen. Følelsen av at alle ser på og alle følger med. Å ikke få utfolde seg pga. tradisjoner og frykt?
Black grapes: Settlers. Maktforhold.
The mirror: Tante og niese i senga. Minner om et overgrep. Flyktninger fra Syria, osv.
Pen and notebook: Brødre som samler stein. Bor i en leir. Far skutt av en amerikanskprodusert kule. Virker som de kommer løpende fra skolen, men kanskje ikke mtp. slutten? Veldig leken. Hverdagsliv i unntakstilstand.
White lilies: Droneangrep :(
Our milk: Selvmordsangrep. Basert på ekte hendelser.
14 June: 2007. Deling av Gaza. To synsvinkler, mor og datter.
The long braid: Om å være jente.
The anklet of Maioumas: Ancient Gaza og settlers. Skjønte ikke så mye. En som blei forelska, men sku giftes bort, og skøyt israelera?
Breastfeeding: domestisitet. Morskap og kvinnefellesskap. Jævla mann som skal ha ny kone fordi den første er opptatt med å oppdra de barna han har lagd. Bra bestemor. ‘Vi hadde ikke tid til Sharia’.
A Samarland Moon: En på vei til å bli radikalisert. Musikk som tema.

[Ingri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historier fra Palestina der vi møter undertrykkelse, drap, overgrep mm. Noen noveller traff mer enn andre. Jeg opplevde av deler både ble for komplisert og banalt på samme tid. Burde nok viet mer tid per novelle. Skulle også gjort mer research rundt sentrale hendelser, sånn som Juni i bokklubben. :)

[Noel نوال · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to start my book year off by reading the words of Arab women, and "The Sea Cloak and Other Stories" did not disappoint.
Beautifully written short stories about the lives of everday Palestinians in Gaza throughout different key events of the Nakba, seige, blockade, bombardments, and wars. The stories mainly center on different Palestinian women navigating intergenerational trauma, patriarchy, liberation, settler colonialism, and genocidal violence.
I loved the writing and how Qarmout was able to draw the reader in and make you care deeply about the characters in these short stories.

[raafi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ini adalah kumpulan cerita dari seorang penulis dari Gaza, Palestina. Beberapa cerita memberikan narasi yang sungguh bisa dibayangkan, dengan latar tempat di sekitaran Palestina.

Uniknya, beberapa dari ceritanya juga mengambil alur cerita yang maju-mundur. Saya dibuat paham dengan alur seperti ini agar terlihat perbedaan signifikan dari situasi dan kondisi di satu waktu, dan situasi dan kondisi di waktu yang lain.

Salah satu cerita dengan alur cerita maju-mundur yaitu “Lili Putih” dengan dua latar waktu: (1) 1997 ketika orang-orang masih bisa keluar-masuk Palestina dan Israel, (2) 2008 setelah Hitnatkut yang berdampak adanya batasan jelas antara Palestina dan Israel sehingga orang tidak bisa saling bepergian sebebas sebelumnya.

Membaca buku ini jadi pengingat diri sendiri bahwa sudah setahun genosida terjadi oleh Israel kepada Palestina. Bahkan kali ini meluas sampai ke Libanon.

[Ann (Inky Labyrinth) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nayrouz Qarmout has a way of making the most horrific moments--like a bomb going off in a crowded restaurant--feel beautiful, even if just for one, slow-motion second.

These stories will sit heavily in my heart.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing this review nearly five months after I read it means that recollection of individual stories has faded but I know I was really impressed by this collection from a debut author. Some of the stories are in the thick of the Palestinian refugee experience and everything that comes from the conflict, others are stories of love and family that have it in the background but always the focus is on women's voices and experience. Simply told but emotional and with a great sense of structure and endings that don't simply tail off, I look forward to reading more of Nayrouz Qarmout in the future.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite of the three book of short stories by Palestinian writers published by Comma Press that I've read so far. I read her explanation in an interview that while trying to help build up a nation with a strong sense of its identity, Narouz wanted to write not just about heroes but about flaws too. Stories link to some of the key moments in the history of Gaza and Palestine and shift from the present to the past. Women's lives are particularly keenly observed. Be ready for the intakes of breath and shocks of recognition that Ali Smith described when she first read the book!

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rep: Palestinian cast & setting

[sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

destroyed me pretty much

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story collection by Nayrouz Qarmout, a Palestinian author.

[Khai Jian (KJ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This is just the way Gaza is: a young girl yet to learn the art of elegance, a young girl who has not yet developed her own scent and is still, willingly or not, perfumed by all around her"

The Sea Cloak is a collection of 11 short stories (written by Nayrouz Qarmout and translated from Arabic by Perween Richardsall and Charis Bredin) which are all based on the life of Palestinians in Gaza. They are not entirely political stories, which focus on the political turmoil between Israel and Palestine. Most of the stories are more personal and geared towards the depiction of the life of Palestinians in Gaza during or the aftermath of certain historical events namely, Israel's occupation of Gaza or the "Hitnatkut" in 1997, the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2005, the Battle of Gaza or also referred to as Hamas' takeover of Gaza in 2007, Land Day i.e. a day of commemoration for Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians of the events of 30th of March 1976 in Israel, the return of Palestinian refugees and their families living in refugee camps in Syria and Lebanon in the late 1990s.

The author captured the daily life of a normal Palestinian in Gaza elegantly and subtly. In the form of short stories, the author managed to bring out the citizens' fear, restraint, suffocation, survival, and eagerness to be free from the nightmares that are happening in Gaza. "How many times has she jumped out of bed thinking that a bullet has punctured her window? How many times have she and her sister thrown themselves into their mother's arms, or huddled together at the foot of the bed, on hearing an RPG mortar screeching towards that building on the square?" More impressively, certain stories inculcated feminist values and the impact of traditions, religion, and societal judgments towards a Palestinian woman living in Gaza. The importance of education is occasionally highlighted. What strikes me immediately is the story entitled "Pen and Notebook". It depicts the life of 3 young children who are responsible for the family's well-being as their father is paralyzed by a bullet to the spine. The story ends with the eldest son giving the remaining wages to his 2 brothers and instructs them to "buy a notebook and a pen so that you can learn to write like me". While the stories portrayed the violence inflicted on Palestinians, there are certain emotional and heartwarming moments that offer some food for thought to the readers. This collection definitely deserves a strong 4/5 star rating and it is a must-read!

[Lauren Printy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the romance and serendipity of the first story “The Sea Cloak” was so beautiful, I sighed deeply with satisfaction at the end. The collection starts with a love story and ends with a love story, the embrace of two young people in the Gaza sea and then connection of Rima and Riad as they pressed their bodies together under the moon looking out to the sea. The writing and the translation of it and the shifts in tone carries the reader along like water. I especially loved the tactility of the story “The Anklet of Maioumas”; the descriptions of marble, stone, sand, metal, the jingling coins of the anklet, and grain scattering all around, like memory transformed into a tangible witness of history that can be transcribed for generations to come, through the ruins. It wasn’t clear whether this story was set in the 21st century or the ancient world until the end, I liked that about it. The collection as a whole speaks to the central role in which women play as members of their family and community, they are professionals, students, dancers, lovers, dreamers, sisters, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, aunts, and protectors, not as victims to the horrific acts of their occupier and of war, but as protagonists ensuring the survival of themselves and/or their family under acutely difficult circumstances. It’s a vivid picture of Gaza and Palestine, of which there are many stories which are yet to be told, and the crushing normality of navigating life under occupation and within the suffocations of one’s own family and society, as well as what it means to continue to be silenced and erased. Layered, tonal, thoughtful, heartbreaking, poetic, complex, so deftly written it could have been a full cohesive novel, really recommend.

[Cindy Vanarwegen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nayrouz Qarmout is een Palestijns auteur en zet zich actief in voor vrouwenrechten. Ze werd geboren in Damascus als dochter van Palestijnse vluchtelingen en keerde als kind terug naar Gaza.
De zeemantel is een verzameling verhalen die zich afspelen in de regio van Palestina en Israël. Via kleine geschiedenissen van de gewone mens, wordt de lezer ingewijd in het leven in Gaza. Van kinderen die het spelletje “Joden en Arabieren” spelen tot het onophoudelijke gezoem van drones in de lucht. Gewone dingen worden er bijzonder. Gewone dingen worden helaas ook onmogelijk. De verhalen kennen vaak een sinister, zinloos einde. Dom geweld blijft door de jaren heen onveranderd voortduren en slachtoffers maken onder de burgerbevolking.
Wat opvalt is dat in elk verhaal een vrouw een belangrijke rol op zich neemt. Gezien de achtergrond van de schrijfster, werkneemster bij het Ministry of Women’s Affairs, is dit niet verwonderlijk. De impact van tradities op (vrouwen)levens is enorm en wordt in verschillende verhalen in vraag gesteld. De toevoeging van dit vrouwelijke thema onderscheidt het boek van andere verhalen over oorlogsgebieden. Een tweede belangrijk thema is, zoals de titel doet vermoeden, weggelegd voor de zee.
De zeemantel is een boek geschreven vanuit een heel andere cultuur dan de mijne. Toch voelt elk verhaal heel dichtbij. Reden hiervoor is de eenvoudige, maar mooie, sprookjesachtige schrijfstijl van de auteur. Het gevoel van de machteloosheid van het individu tegenover onaantastbare machthebbers is universeel.
Overbodig te zeggen dat dit boek, uitgegeven in 2020 door Uitgeverij Orlando, brandend actueel is. Wil je (hoewel élk verhaal absoluut de moeite is) niet het hele boek lezen, dan raad ik volgende drie verhalen aan: Witte lelies, De zeemantel en Onze melk.

[Crazytourists_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows exactly why I like short stories. It is fairly easy to hide your inadequacies in a novel, in hundreds of pages, and ireelevant descriptions. But in short stories, every word matters. Every word has to be exactly right. And this is what happens in this small collection. The writing is beautiful, the characters are nicely built and the stories are heartbreaking and brutal, full of emotion (without being overdramatic).

[Vilda Gorji Persson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flera noveller om vardagen i Gaza på 2010-talet. Så många känslor och så oerhört vackert skrivet.

[Karim Anani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to thank that ghoul Sajid Javid. Had his Home Office not made such a ruckus about giving a visa to author Nayrouz Qarmout in 2018—refusing entry to a person invited to the Edinburgh International Book Festival for having the audacity to be Palestinian—I'd have never heard of her. Nor, indeed, of The Sea Cloak, a deeply moving, beautiful short story collection. (I won't say more about Javid, except that my opinion of him is in my review of Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.)

Illustrative: I had an early meeting this morning which I went to bed early last night for. I opened The Sea Cloak for some bedtime reading, chose a story from the two or three left that I hadn't gone through yet, and read it. Not long after, having finished the story, I was reeling and regretful; like most of the stories in The Sea Cloak, "White Lilies" had left me tumultuous, and sleep was a long time coming. (The meeting nevertheless went really well, which goes to show that there are few problems that caffeine can't solve.)

Reeling because of its quality. Regret only because I should have known better. With the curious exception of the title story, each entry in The Sea Cloak was disquieting and impactful. Qarmout, a resident of Gaza, constructs stories from the vignettes the rest of us find in newspapers—especially specialist and local outlets that cover stories The New York Times would never bother with (gotta have those yoga pages!)—but which she finds in her daily life. They're marvellous, taking Palestinian society, Palestinian leadership, and the Israeli occupation to ask. They land with the impact of bullets.

Two disclaimers, then, I must present for the sake of honesty, but which I think have affected my feelings about the book to the degree I'll describe.

One: The Palestine-Israeli "conflict" is one near to me; I read a lot about the history and am the grandson of four refugees, plus the son of a father who escaped the war of 1967 by being in Amman at the time. Palestine is in the blood. I understand, then, so much of the context that Qarmout is building her stories from. I realise that I'll read certain stories differently to how someone more ignorant about the "conflict" will. But I suspect that's by design.

The book should nonetheless be read by people who have no idea what it's all about at all—people who couldn't point out Jenin or Jaffa on a map if their life depended on it. Nuances are nuances. I'm sure a good chunk of Saadat Hasan Manto goes over my head. His stories still stun me.

Two: Even in that demographic, it's harder for me to be objective about The Sea Cloak than most. At some point after the Home Office scandal (and a scandal it should be), Nayrouz somehow became aware of me and got in contact. What followed was a strange (because it's online) but affectionate friendship, and as I read the stories I would occasionally text her to discuss them. That has done little to affect my liking of the stories, but those discussions offered insight into her thinking, her philosophy, her outlook. I am immensely fond of Nayrouz, but I think the extent of it was that it sealed "The Long Braid" as my favourite, because I can see so much of her outlook, philosophy, etc. in it.

But I think the book is powerful outside of all that, and you should read it. Erudite, intelligent, beautiful, concise, and efficacious: The Sea Cloak and Other Stories is a book that deserves to be treasured, and Nayrouz Qarmout an author that deserves to be celebrated. To be her friend is a joy; to read her is a privilege. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

[Amy Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart is moved. Reading the stories of real events as I bake cookies in my air conditioning.
We have to do something.

[Aidah Zahrah Nurrahmah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sea Cloak—kalau diterjemahkan artinya Jubah Laut. Kumpulan 11 cerita pendek adaptasi kisah nyata dari kondisi kultur hingga problematika sehari-hari antar masyarakat di Gaza dan kamp-kamp pengungsian disana yg menarik, tapi betul betul menyita konsentrasiku.

Beberapa judul yg sampai sekarang mudah kupahami ‘pemaknaan’ dari alur ceritanya hanya 5: Anggur Hitam, Pulpen dan Buku Tulis, Lili Putih, Kepang Panjang, serta Menyusui. Sisanya? Jadi pr untuk kubaca ulang. Bahkan kubaca juga review orang lain supaya aku tau apa kondisi di Gaza yg mau disampaikan penulisnya lewat cerita-cerita itu karena kalimatnya masih perlu proses dicerna.

At the end, aku bisa sedikit menangkap kalau terjajah lebih dari 7 dekade itu ga cuma ngasih penderitaan dan duka dalam bentuk—misal kehilangan nyawa—tapi ada perspektif kehidupan lain yg ga tersorot: ketegangan dan sensitivitas sosial, anak-anak ikut berjuang buat keperluan keluarga, dikelilingi ancaman drone-drone zionis, sampai hubungan darah keluarga yg jadi ga jelas. Iya, semuanya berawal dari: penjajahan.

[Anetq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories from Palestine. Beautiful images of life, love and dance ...and suicide bombers and drone attacks. I like the way it paints a portrait of life and normalcy broken by bloody intervals, but it is also dissatisfying as a reader, the way some short story collections are. I miss a little more plot, a little less imagery - but hey, that's just me. The writing is beautiful.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nayrouz Qarmout's collection is a powerful and timely reminder of the human stories behind one of humanity's most eternal conflicts. In short, photographic stories, Qarmout creates intense portraits of Palestinian experiences of war and occupation, of repression and injustice. Many of the stories, despite their length, are chronologically lengthy affairs, stretching over generations and epochs. In one, for example, we read about the story of two terrorist acts decades apart. There are parallels in setting (a restaurant) and the people affected. Throughout the collection Qarmout wants to show us that while time passes the traumas remain the same. She has no boundaries of culture, gender or religion - trauma is the link that connects these human stories. Sometimes the jumpy switches of point of view and setting interrupts the flow of the stories and one feels, at times, that you don't have time to get into the story before it is over. There is a cohesion to the collection and none of the stories are weak or unsatisfying. The range of themes might seem a bit restrictive but in only one hundred pages you can forgive Qarmout for the intense focus.

The experience of Palestinian women sits at the forefront of this collection, none less than in the superlative title story. The Sea Cloak uses the symbolism of tradition Palestinian dress to create a haunting and disturbing feeling of entrapment. In it a young women walks out into the ocean fully clothed. She almost drowns, a scene of awful gladness. It is the best story in the collection and benefits from the few extra pages to allow us a little deeper into the emotions of the characters. Another story tells of a young women's experience in Paris in an arranged marriage and her return to Palestine. Symbols of femininity are reoccurring - pregnancy, breastfeeding, the female body - are Qarmout's ability to approach her themes from the point of view of all ages widens and complicates the impression. The other central theme is the violent response to repression and religious dispute. More than one story tells of unfortunate deaths caused by people's fear or lack of understanding. One gets the impression of constant fear, a fear that has settled on the region and forces violence out of situations that should be resolved peacefully. Sometimes the stories read like retellings of tragic newspaper stories in which the emotions of the protagonists are allowed space to breathe and, in some cases, the normally silent character is allowed space to think.

The Sea Cloak... is a moving and well-written short story collection but it is at its best when it is a little more daring and inventive. Stories like "The Sea Cloak" and the haunting tale "The Mirror" push the boundaries of reality to their limits, weaving in a ghostly feeling of horror and giving them a more unique feel. Still, to write a collection like this without a single weak telling is quite an achievement and Qarmout packs some powerful punches into tiny little packages. I would be excited to see what she can do with a more expansive piece of writing.

[Fadillah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It all happens in a split second. Zahra is blown backwards by a blast of hot air. Her first thought is that she’s been hit by a motorbike. For a moment she can see only smoke. Then, as she gets to her feet, she realises these aren’t exhaust fumes. As the smoke clears white petals appear scattered across the pavement. And in between all the white, patches of red. Not flat spots of it, but pieces. Clumps. Threads and stems of red. The humming above her fades. She looks up at the sky. Birds quietly scatter. Something about their silence makes her stiffen like plaster. She can’t feel her feet.”
- The Sea Cloak, Nayrouz Qarmout
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This is truly a mighty collection of short stories especially when you are familiar with Palestine history and issues. 14 short stories featured in this book did enough to show what people in Gaza is going through every day. The book began with the titular tale ‘the sea cloak’ and let me tell you, the first story already broke me. The normalcy one would crave to just want to live in peace, to not being reminded that there’s intense illegal occupation by zionist and to helplessly seeing death and misery over and over again while the whole world choose to ignore. Daily tribulations faced by Palestinians in Gaza is emboldened in each story. Due to that, i will not choose favourite as all of the 14 stories touched the core of my heart. I am particularly grateful for the end notes that some stories has to show how related these short stories with every real events or incidents that happened in Palestine. This is the first Palestinian female author that i have read and i am ashamed to admit it. When it comes to Palestine subject matter, i gravitated towards the memoir and history books thus ended up overlooking Palestinian Literature and Fictional works. Before i proceed to end my review, let me do a brief introduction on the author. She was born in Damascus and returned to the Gaza Strip as part of the 1994 Israeli-Palestinian Peace Agreement. Besides being an author, she’s also women’s rights campaigner.
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Last but not least to correspond for those who are still clueless on Palestine and Israel issue or kept saying whatever happened between Palestine and Israel is a Conflict or War, check your facts. The fight is not equal, the land takeover is illegal, It is obviously Apartheid and settler colonialism at its best and you don’t have to be muslims to acknowledge that there is injustice against Palestinians. You just need to be human.

[Jo Bahdo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This is just the way Gaza is: a young girl yet to learn the art of elegance, a young girl who has not yet developed her own scent and is still, willingly or not, perfumed by all around her"

I bought this book last month together with four more books by Palestinian authors because I might not be able to do much but I can read their stories and I can support Palestinian writers and literature.

Nayrouz Qarmout is a Palestinian writer and activist. Born in Damascus in 1984, as a Palestinian refugee, she returned to the Gaza Strip, as part of the 1994 Israeli-Palestinian Peace Agreement, where she now lives.

This book collects fourteen short stories in a hundred pages. The stories are indeed very short and yet so complete as in a few pages Qarmout provides different points of view, time and places which all belong and contribute to the main story providing such depth in what feels like one breath, one turn of page.

The first and last stories are the softest - they are about two people trying to be and stay together in a place that is all but nourishing and ideal for a healthy relationship and yet is the only place they could ever call home despite everything. I love how somehow they feel like one is the continuation of the other although we have different characters all four find themselves and a sense of peace at the Gaza beach.

The stories in the middle instead tend to be more brutal and focus on the socio-political and religious situation in Gaza historically and currently. These stories zoom in on how arbitrary things can be and are. Objects, people, and phrases that were in a way at a certain time and place meet again in another time and place and their destiny so unforeseeable back then is loss and grief.

I appreciated a lot the notes that provided more context and historical facts to learn about.

It wasn’t an easy read but it’s a book that I will reread.

It’s also a book that surprisingly gave me a certain warmth. I wasn’t fortunate enough to grow up reading stories of my culture and to find bits of it in Palestinian stories is both devastating and oddly comforting - it might be the phrases that are similar to the ones I grew up with or the names of the people.

I recommend it to whoever wants to learn about and support Palestinian literature.

[Vitesh Shah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has many short stories. I was not a huge fan of how the stories were written. The author tries to connect the short stories across different people or different times in a way. But this made the stories a bit difficult to follow.
The sea cloak itself wasn't that great of a story according to me.
There were some stories about settlement problems and how sometimes the people from both sides were killed just for the settlements.
Overall the women and children have suffered the most during the whole Israel Palestinian problem. Children have to work at super young age or they are orphans. Girls facing sexual assaults.
White lilies was perhaps my favorite story. It shows how many innocent people have been killed in drone attacks just due to misinterpretation etc. But at the same time there have been stories where Palestinian terrorists have also carried our bomb attacks in Israel. So we do see that both sides are at fault. Also a section of Palestinian society is also quite orthodox Islam followers, which is definitely not great for women's rights.
The stories do tend to show that both sides are at fault and both sides are not perfect. However at the same time, women and children suffer the most due to actions of men deciding the future of this small region.

One thing that I felt in general after reading the book, is that the general life in Palestine doesn't seem as horrible as in Afghanistan or something. This is strange because the book wants us to focus on Palestinian problem.

[Ramsey Hanhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Voice of Gaza

A little book of Gaza’s daily reality, before that beachfront city became a target for genocidal slaughter.

These are not comfortable stories to read before bedtime. Instead, they perturb you, and poke you with needles, and make you ask questions.

A small trait or incident ends up revealing hidden worlds. A whole history that lies forgotten, but is still very much alive. A drop of milk, a glance in the mirror, a white lily, or an anklet under the sea, become keys to exploding worlds and childhood trauma. The absurdity of existence is skillfully unmasked.

From the debilitating squalor of the refugee camps spring defiance, empowerment and a rejection of victimhood. The stories feature strong female figures who challenge and resist the religious patriarchy. The alternate reality imposed by Israel is barely visible in some stories, yet all present – like the constant buzz of drones, a father disabled from a previous bombing, or a lover stuck in the West Bank.

From the title story onwards, Qarmout unveils Gaza’s intimate and tortured relationship with the sea. Sensual vignettes of a crowded Gaza beach celebrate the triumph of life even under the most oppressive conditions. My favorites are “A Samarland Moon”, “White Lilies,” “The Mirror,” and “Pen and Notebook,” though the other seven stories are almost as powerful. Read these if you want to understand Gaza’s unbreakable spirit.

– Ramsey Hanhan, Author, Fugitive Dreams

[Amaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kesebelas ceeita pendek dalam buku ini menutur Palestina dalam berbagai pergulatan isu, selagi verjuang bertahan hidup di bawah okupasi Israel. Anak-anak yatim yang berjuang menghidupi keluarga dengan mengumpulkan puing reruntuhan akibat bom; perempuan yang terpasung tradisi dan stigma; seorang ayah yang dicap teroris ketika menagih upah kerja, dst. Persoalan-persoalan ini silang sengkarut dengan polemik politik dalam negeri Palestina yang membuat warganya terpecah dalam kubu-kubu.

Dihadirkan lewat perspektif seorang aktivis kemanusiaan dan feminisme, sebagian besar ceritanya berupaya mengemukakan pergulatan para perempuan dengan berbagai isu khas dalam struktur masyarakat patriarkal: perkawinan anak, pelecehan seksual, dan pertentangan budaya. Beberapa cerita tampak jelas mengkritisi kultur Islam yang kerap dipandang "mengekang" perempuan. Cukup menarik untuk didiskusikan, terlebih jika mengingat, cerita-cerita ini memotret Palestina, di mana Islam bukan sekadar kultur, melainkan payung yang telah meneduhi tanah itu sejak berabad-abad lampau.

Di tengah segala kerumitan itu, gemuruh pesawat menghantui satu dua cerita, diselingi ledakan bom yang dengan sengaja mengincar penduduk sipil.

Kukira, "The Sea Clock" adalah sepotong Palestjna yang menawarkan perspektif lain tentang sebuah bangsa yang mendambakan kebebasan dengan setengah putus asa.