Ancestral Daughter

by Zeina Jhaish

Ancestral Daughter is a poignant collection of free-verse poetry by Palestinian writer Zeina Jhaish, exploring themes of diaspora, identity, resistance, and love. Through vivid imagery and raw emotion, Jhaish navigates her dual existence as a Palestinian woman from Gaza living in the diaspora, weaving personal and collective histories into her verses. The book is divided into two parts: “Ancestral,” which delves into exile, land, and the trauma of occupation, and “Daughter,” which reflects on womanhood, heartbreak, and rebirth. Poems like “Haifa on 85th Avenue” and “Godforsaken Homes” juxtapose longing for homeland with the alienation of displacement, while “Being a Palestinian Woman: A Guide” celebrates resilience. Jhaish honors her heritage, mourns ongoing violence, and clings to hope, dedicating the work to Gaza and Palestinian martyrs. Blending English and Arabic, her poetry is a testament to ancestral love and the unyielding spirit of her people.

Genres: Poetry

184 pages, Paperback

Published November 14, 2025

About the author

Zeina Jhaish is a Palestinian writer and educator from Rafah, Gaza. Her work explores (self) love, womanhood, Palestine, resistance, and diasporic identity. She has been published with The Ghassan Kanafani Anthology, Prism International, and Muslim Girl. When Zeina is not…

Reviews

[rania · Rating 5 out of 5]

ferocious and tender, bruising and comforting, all at once

[Soraya Safari · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’m tired of acting like it is not existentially exhausting that my soul is not at home.” (p.47)

Zeina Jhaish’s poetry is simple yet very profound and powerful. They made me emotional while others made me smile. I loved the diverse typography, colours and how it all meshed beautifully with the poems.

Thank you Zeina, it was lovely to meet you and I can’t wait to read more from you <3

[Adan Alhjooj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, and its author, have a very powerful way of using poetry to convey multiple feelings all at once. As soon as I started reading, I was HOOKED. To say that this is an emotional read is an understatement in the best way possible. With each poem, I felt more and more attached. The book created a sense of safety and put into words emotions that have gone unspoken for years. I cannot recommend this book more! Please do yourself a favor and read this.

[rasya · Rating 5 out of 5]

so incredibly all-encompassing in terms of the human condition. heartbreaking, inspiring, hopeful, angry, dejected, loving. i don’t read much poetry, and this one took a long time—i couldn’t read too much at once because every word requires careful absorption. but it’s very worth it.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zeina writes so beautifully and passionately. Her words make you imagine Palestine through her eyes and experience her experiences in the most beautiful way. A beautiful piece of art written and designed so well!!

[Shakiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and how it was written. The visual aspects adds a layered depth to the already rich poems. Everything flowed and I could not stop reading. Beautiful collection!

" I pray to adore you, your entity, in its entirety, entirely" p. 161

Read this line over and over. Chef's kiss.

[Golda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read. Perfectly captures the feelings and thoughts on identity, land (and being exiled), resistance, and love, beautifully written by a Palestinian woman.

[azizy gladyola · Rating 5 out of 5]

You deserve to be angry for all you’ve ever been was patient and all you’ve ever felt was loss.

[Ikram Bensalem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent poetry collection. Vivid, colorful, and instantly inviting. Every page draws you in with its warmth and emotional depth, making it a book that feels worth far more than its selling price. The poems are touching and powerful.
I had the privilege of meeting the author, Zeina Jheish, and she is a truly remarkable person, kind, inspiring, and deeply connected to her work. Knowing the heart behind the book makes the reading experience even more meaningful.
Easy to read yet captivating, the kind of book you want to savor slowly while also feeling eager to finish. I cannot wait to read it in its entirety.
Highly recommend.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so truly incredible. I would give it a million stars out of five if I could!! My friend Zeina whom I met in grad school wrote this book, a poetry collection, and I am so blown away. I highly highly recommend everyone read this, even if you aren't typically into poetry (like myself!!). Incredibly touching and heartbreaking poems, with some displayed in different shapes (e.g., Gaza strip, waves of the ocean). In fact, though it's not technically about the text of the book, just the structure of the book itself is so lovely; there are colorful pages, imagery of tatreez, and great font choices. And always, free Palestine 🇵🇸

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in 2 nights!! I couldn’t put it down!!!!!

I felt rage, I felt joy, I felt sad, I felt hope, but most especially, I felt resistance.

Zeina, your words have me speechless. You’ve done an incredible job articulating the emotions felt by Palestinian women in the diaspora & I cannot thank you enough for sharing your work with us.

[Olivier Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book touched my soul as a man who has recently learned about Palestine in he last two years. My heart goes out to Gaza and all of its writers, including Zeina. Her mix of emotion, politics, and pure soul has ignited a passion for reading more Palestinian poetry. Thank you Zeina.