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Palestine Unwrapped
Palestine Unwrapped is an unprecedented collection of real-life stories celebrating the beauty and diversity of the Holy Land through its history, religions, politics and everyday life. Written by an outsider who lived for three years in East Jerusalem and travelled extensively across the region, these stories and lives lay bare the context and circumstances that have led to the war in Gaza and the continued oppression of the Palestinian people.
In 2019, when Kirsty Le Grice arrived in Sheikh Jarrah with two young children, she was catapulted into a complex world that was both wonderful and tragic. Living as part of the international community, she travelled throughout Israel and the Palestinian West Bank to reach places that others can’t or don’t see. The stories she heard from the people who lived there and the places she visited helped her to try and make sense of the true character of Jerusalem and Palestine.
Through Le Grice’s narrative, explore the Old City of Jerusalem, including famous sites like the Dome of the Rock, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall. Wander through West Bank towns and cities, including Bethlehem (where artist Banksy owns a hotel ‘with the world’s worst views’: the Separation Wall), Hebron and Jenin. Experience daily life in off-the-beaten-track villages. Pick olives from ancient trees to appreciate Palestinians’ deep-rooted connection to the land, which is under threat from Israeli settler violence. Savour the beauty of hiking in Palestine, including Wadi Qelt and around Jericho. Visit locations across Israel that formed historic Palestine, including Jaffa, Haifa, Akko, Nazareth and Lifta.
Palestine Unwrapped is about people as well as place. Peeling back the secrets of the Holy Land, layer by layer, Le Grice gives a human face to Palestine while exposing harsh realities of the Israeli occupation on day-to-day existence. Meet Hassan, who camped out to defend his land. Let Mustafa, an entrepreneurial refugee, guide you around Bethlehem. Go tobacco-picking with Mohamad in Zabubah. Eat maqloubeh in Ali’s kitchen in Abu Dis. And take a tour around the world’s most Ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood with someone who left it.
Compelling, authentic and wide-ranging, Palestine Unwrapped is a portrait of a unique region and the struggle to maintain tradition and day-to-day normality on the cusp of intense conflict.
In 2019, when Kirsty Le Grice arrived in Sheikh Jarrah with two young children, she was catapulted into a complex world that was both wonderful and tragic. Living as part of the international community, she travelled throughout Israel and the Palestinian West Bank to reach places that others can’t or don’t see. The stories she heard from the people who lived there and the places she visited helped her to try and make sense of the true character of Jerusalem and Palestine.
Through Le Grice’s narrative, explore the Old City of Jerusalem, including famous sites like the Dome of the Rock, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall. Wander through West Bank towns and cities, including Bethlehem (where artist Banksy owns a hotel ‘with the world’s worst views’: the Separation Wall), Hebron and Jenin. Experience daily life in off-the-beaten-track villages. Pick olives from ancient trees to appreciate Palestinians’ deep-rooted connection to the land, which is under threat from Israeli settler violence. Savour the beauty of hiking in Palestine, including Wadi Qelt and around Jericho. Visit locations across Israel that formed historic Palestine, including Jaffa, Haifa, Akko, Nazareth and Lifta.
Palestine Unwrapped is about people as well as place. Peeling back the secrets of the Holy Land, layer by layer, Le Grice gives a human face to Palestine while exposing harsh realities of the Israeli occupation on day-to-day existence. Meet Hassan, who camped out to defend his land. Let Mustafa, an entrepreneurial refugee, guide you around Bethlehem. Go tobacco-picking with Mohamad in Zabubah. Eat maqloubeh in Ali’s kitchen in Abu Dis. And take a tour around the world’s most Ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood with someone who left it.
Compelling, authentic and wide-ranging, Palestine Unwrapped is a portrait of a unique region and the struggle to maintain tradition and day-to-day normality on the cusp of intense conflict.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 8, 2026
Firstly, commendations need to be made to the author for putting her name to a book this critical of Israel. An increasing number of people, particularly since 2024, have been subjected to the ‘electric fence’ of Zionist discourse, which can often take the form of violent threats against those who dare to speak critically of Israel's warring nature or illegal occupation of Palestine. Having read the book, the only conclusion is that the author felt compelled to give voice to the voiceless. In today’s polarised climate, this is bravery indeed.
Palestine Unwrapped is an easy read by a skilled writer. The book is part polemic, part memoir. I’d hesitate to call it a travel guide – despite the publisher being Bradt Travel Guides - a travel guide would usually encourage the reader to visit the destination. Granted, the author does describe beautiful scenery, a warm atmosphere from the Palestinians, and some excellent-sounding food stops, but this book is anything but an endorsement of Israel. Unless you’re someone of an Abrahamic bent who’s looking to take in religious landmarks, there’s nothing for you in visiting Israel. Even then, I would urge caution – Christians are regularly spat on by Israelis, and it rather goes without saying how Muslims are treated. The UK’s Foreign Office (FCDO) currently advises against all travel to Israel.
Often, the claim is made by politicians and talking heads that the conflict in Palestine/Israel is hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years old. This maxim is undoubtedly used to discourage further reading of the subject. How can someone who has ‘never been to the region’ hope to make sense of a conflict that stretches back to biblical times? Le Grice debunks this notion by placing the cause of friction in the early 20th century, relaying how there was a time when Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived together in relative harmony in the region. Threaded throughout the book are the author’s hopes of a more equitable outcome for all peoples.
Israel is a thick matrix of contradictions – a “safe haven for Jews”, residing in a “tough neighbourhood”; a nation founded on a biblical promise by secularists; a “western-style liberal democracy” with worse conditions for the oppressed than South Africa’s Apartheid; a settler-colonial state established when the rest of the world was decolonising. The author lays out much of this in an accessible manner without the material ever feeling too heavy. Interspersed with the history of Israel/Palestine are her own experiences living there for three years with her young family. Her charming stories help with digesting some of the more depressing accounts of how life is made very difficult for Palestinians.
Palestine Unwrapped is handsomely presented, featuring great cover art and beautiful photos inside. Meticulous research has obviously been done to present this work. The book is ideal for those who have been following the genocide in Gaza and want to expand their knowledge on the plight of Palestinians. I very much recommend reading this.
Palestine Unwrapped is an easy read by a skilled writer. The book is part polemic, part memoir. I’d hesitate to call it a travel guide – despite the publisher being Bradt Travel Guides - a travel guide would usually encourage the reader to visit the destination. Granted, the author does describe beautiful scenery, a warm atmosphere from the Palestinians, and some excellent-sounding food stops, but this book is anything but an endorsement of Israel. Unless you’re someone of an Abrahamic bent who’s looking to take in religious landmarks, there’s nothing for you in visiting Israel. Even then, I would urge caution – Christians are regularly spat on by Israelis, and it rather goes without saying how Muslims are treated. The UK’s Foreign Office (FCDO) currently advises against all travel to Israel.
Often, the claim is made by politicians and talking heads that the conflict in Palestine/Israel is hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years old. This maxim is undoubtedly used to discourage further reading of the subject. How can someone who has ‘never been to the region’ hope to make sense of a conflict that stretches back to biblical times? Le Grice debunks this notion by placing the cause of friction in the early 20th century, relaying how there was a time when Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived together in relative harmony in the region. Threaded throughout the book are the author’s hopes of a more equitable outcome for all peoples.
Israel is a thick matrix of contradictions – a “safe haven for Jews”, residing in a “tough neighbourhood”; a nation founded on a biblical promise by secularists; a “western-style liberal democracy” with worse conditions for the oppressed than South Africa’s Apartheid; a settler-colonial state established when the rest of the world was decolonising. The author lays out much of this in an accessible manner without the material ever feeling too heavy. Interspersed with the history of Israel/Palestine are her own experiences living there for three years with her young family. Her charming stories help with digesting some of the more depressing accounts of how life is made very difficult for Palestinians.
Palestine Unwrapped is handsomely presented, featuring great cover art and beautiful photos inside. Meticulous research has obviously been done to present this work. The book is ideal for those who have been following the genocide in Gaza and want to expand their knowledge on the plight of Palestinians. I very much recommend reading this.
July 22, 2025
Written so beautifully by my dear friend, I truly enjoyed this journey through Palestine through my friend's eyes. More than a travelogue, Kirsty takes the reader on an exciting journey that most people will never have the chance to experience. She introduces us to a cast of real-life characters who offer such unique perspectives on the Palestinian experience, both struggles and triumphs. I highly recommend this beautiful book for anyone seeking to learn about Palestine and its people beyond the politics that we read in the news every day.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews