What do you think?
Rate this book
Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine
What does freedom look like from inside an Israeli prison?
The walls of the cell are etched with the names of the prisoners who came before. A bird perches on the cell window and offers a deal: “You bring the pencil, and I will bring the stories,” stories of family, of community, of Gaza, of Palestine. Mohammad Sabaaneh brings uses his striking linocut artwork to help the world see Palestinian people as human, not as superheroes or political symbols.
The walls of the cell are etched with the names of the prisoners who came before. A bird perches on the cell window and offers a deal: “You bring the pencil, and I will bring the stories,” stories of family, of community, of Gaza, of Palestine. Mohammad Sabaaneh brings uses his striking linocut artwork to help the world see Palestinian people as human, not as superheroes or political symbols.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
9 people are currently reading
1512 people want to read
About the author
Mohammad Sabaaneh
10 books23 followersMohammad Sabaaneh is a Palestinian cartoonist.
He is the principal political cartoonist for the Palestinian Authority's daily newspaper, Al-Hayat al-Jadida.
Sabaaneh is a Middle East representative for the Cartoonists Rights Network International and teaches art at the Arab American University of Palestine.
His graphic novel Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine, which tells the autobiographical story of his time as a political prisoner in Israel, received the Palestine Book Award. He currently lives in Ramallah, in the West Bank.
He is the principal political cartoonist for the Palestinian Authority's daily newspaper, Al-Hayat al-Jadida.
Sabaaneh is a Middle East representative for the Cartoonists Rights Network International and teaches art at the Arab American University of Palestine.
His graphic novel Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine, which tells the autobiographical story of his time as a political prisoner in Israel, received the Palestine Book Award. He currently lives in Ramallah, in the West Bank.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
December 4, 2025
This GN is heartbreaking. A bird comes to visit a Palestinian man in an Israeli prison. The bird brings tales of what is happening to the prisoner; tales of despair, rejection and abuse. The man longs for the freedom the bird has; but he understands that his role is to record what is happening to those who are suffering more than he is. No politics here - just a simple statement from the heart: please think of the children... consider reading the poem Upon the Infant Martyrs by Richard Crashaw - all of those involved in what is happening in Gaza should read this short poem. Highest recommendation.
December 27, 2024
Real Rating: 4.5* of five
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: The author/artist, whose lived experience this graphic novel is born out of, made a beautiful work of art out of suffering.
The linocuts used to create the illustrations are truly brutal, absolutely unsparingly blocky and confining, and that is the essence of the story he is telling us in his words and images. It's my worst nightmare, claustrophobia, made in art. There's nothing worse than the feeling of being TRAPPED, of having no agency in the workings of your own world...you exist that way, you don't live. In the beginning of the book, you're not told what happened to bring the author/artist into an Israeli prison. We're just...in there. We are, like him, forced to experience imprisonment, though we're unaware of why and presumably he is...there's a line that a guard shouts at him about wanting to become a martyr, so I can deduce from that there is a violent act in the man's past. Or the planning of one, or just the suspicion of the planning of one...societies that exist inside a conflict paradigm are noticeably more paranoid than ones that don't.
The flights of the bird the author/artist creates to make the stories of others come alive are beautifully imagined. The linocut technique carries through the sense of enclosure, of stasis within a field; the bird's flights aren't escapes but reminders of the nature of imprisonment, confinement. It is this essential feature of the story that I found least convincing, though. I wasn't sold on the narrative device providing an urgently needed contrast to the overall looming, enclosed tone of the book.
The awful entanglement of the body in the emotional and mental space of imprisonment, confinement, comes through more clearly than ever as the author presents us with the stories of other Palestinians, those not imprisoned with him, as they navigate the awfulness of never being allowed a sense of Home or even of safety in this place they, and their ancestors before them, once were masters of their own fates within.
The entire experience of this artwork, this passionately lived experience of being disempowered, unhomed, dehumanized for wanting what someone else has simply...taken...as their right, their just compensation for a world that you didn't agree with or agree to be identified with's abuse of them...there is no right? There is no Right? Who says? Why do you say there's no solution, because you don't want the one the other side wants? Then when will stories like this one ever cease? Can they ever become history, when they aren't even acknowledged as History?
This Yuletide, pick up a piece of Art, a fragment of story, that you really don't know how much you don't know about. A book like this, with its personal tales as well as a more scholarly, factual end-story, will give you the personal perspective of people you don't know or know about.
Then realize: The issues in this book are not solely Over There. They apply right here on your doorstep. So take a moment to recognize and realize that everything you possess, everything you take for granted, has a cost. And not solely to you.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: The author/artist, whose lived experience this graphic novel is born out of, made a beautiful work of art out of suffering.
The linocuts used to create the illustrations are truly brutal, absolutely unsparingly blocky and confining, and that is the essence of the story he is telling us in his words and images. It's my worst nightmare, claustrophobia, made in art. There's nothing worse than the feeling of being TRAPPED, of having no agency in the workings of your own world...you exist that way, you don't live. In the beginning of the book, you're not told what happened to bring the author/artist into an Israeli prison. We're just...in there. We are, like him, forced to experience imprisonment, though we're unaware of why and presumably he is...there's a line that a guard shouts at him about wanting to become a martyr, so I can deduce from that there is a violent act in the man's past. Or the planning of one, or just the suspicion of the planning of one...societies that exist inside a conflict paradigm are noticeably more paranoid than ones that don't.
The flights of the bird the author/artist creates to make the stories of others come alive are beautifully imagined. The linocut technique carries through the sense of enclosure, of stasis within a field; the bird's flights aren't escapes but reminders of the nature of imprisonment, confinement. It is this essential feature of the story that I found least convincing, though. I wasn't sold on the narrative device providing an urgently needed contrast to the overall looming, enclosed tone of the book.
The awful entanglement of the body in the emotional and mental space of imprisonment, confinement, comes through more clearly than ever as the author presents us with the stories of other Palestinians, those not imprisoned with him, as they navigate the awfulness of never being allowed a sense of Home or even of safety in this place they, and their ancestors before them, once were masters of their own fates within.
The entire experience of this artwork, this passionately lived experience of being disempowered, unhomed, dehumanized for wanting what someone else has simply...taken...as their right, their just compensation for a world that you didn't agree with or agree to be identified with's abuse of them...there is no right? There is no Right? Who says? Why do you say there's no solution, because you don't want the one the other side wants? Then when will stories like this one ever cease? Can they ever become history, when they aren't even acknowledged as History?
This Yuletide, pick up a piece of Art, a fragment of story, that you really don't know how much you don't know about. A book like this, with its personal tales as well as a more scholarly, factual end-story, will give you the personal perspective of people you don't know or know about.
Then realize: The issues in this book are not solely Over There. They apply right here on your doorstep. So take a moment to recognize and realize that everything you possess, everything you take for granted, has a cost. And not solely to you.
March 10, 2025
Very moving and especially beautifully illustrated. This was published before the recent war in Gaza started, so it feels even more painfully poignant.
(Picked up a review copy through Edelweiss)
[image error]
November 16, 2023
je ne sais pas par quoi commencer, ni comment mais sachez juste une chose : cette BD est importante, et ce que fait Israël depuis 75 ans est inhumain. abjecte.
ma lecture n'a pas été simple parce que c'est le génocide est un sujet lourd, que l'apartheid est une souffrance constante et un des plus grands signes d'oppression pour les personnes qui vivent tout ça au quotidien. néanmoins, et malgré quelques larmes (surprise!), j'ai adoré ma lecture et davantage cette BD. dans "Je ne partirai pas", on suit l'histoire d'un détenu et d'un oiseau qui font un pacte : le détenu dessine le vécu des oppressé•e•s, l'oiseau raconte les histoires des personnes en dehors de la prison. on suit alors une myriade de vécus : des parents qui ne parviennent pas à passer les différents checkpoints pour se rendre à l'hôpital alors que la femme est sur le point d'accoucher ; une mère qui attend désespérément le retour de son fils et qui finit par l'enterrer, car tué sur le chemin de l'école ou celui de la maison ; des enfants qui ne rêvent plus, ne vont plus à l'école parce qu'ils ont été tués ou bien l'école détruite par les bombardements incessants...
il y a, de ce fait, la représentation sous-jacente de traumatismes, de peurs, de la violence instaurée par Israël et de l'impossibilité pour les Palestiniens et Palestiniennes de construire une vie décente. iels sont constamment déplacé•e•s, entassé•e•s dans des camps et de petites zones ultra surveillées, leur liberté de mouvement est contrôlée et soumise à des restrictions qui se doivent d'être constamment validées mais qui sont, pour la plupart du temps, refusées. il y a les emprisonnements abusifs et excessifs, les humiliations d'une prison à une autre, d'une cellule à une autre et tellement d'autres choses qui constituent le quotidien du peuple palestinien.
j'ai également apprécié la technique utilisée pour illustrer l'histoire (de la linogravure!), l'avant-propos mais aussi les différentes annexes pour recontextualiser l'intrigue et donner plus d'information à la personne qui lit. courez acheter cette BD, elle vaut largement son prix. et ne restez pas silencieuxses, ne vous laissez pas abrutir par nos magnifiques médias français pro-Israël.
ma lecture n'a pas été simple parce que c'est le génocide est un sujet lourd, que l'apartheid est une souffrance constante et un des plus grands signes d'oppression pour les personnes qui vivent tout ça au quotidien. néanmoins, et malgré quelques larmes (surprise!), j'ai adoré ma lecture et davantage cette BD. dans "Je ne partirai pas", on suit l'histoire d'un détenu et d'un oiseau qui font un pacte : le détenu dessine le vécu des oppressé•e•s, l'oiseau raconte les histoires des personnes en dehors de la prison. on suit alors une myriade de vécus : des parents qui ne parviennent pas à passer les différents checkpoints pour se rendre à l'hôpital alors que la femme est sur le point d'accoucher ; une mère qui attend désespérément le retour de son fils et qui finit par l'enterrer, car tué sur le chemin de l'école ou celui de la maison ; des enfants qui ne rêvent plus, ne vont plus à l'école parce qu'ils ont été tués ou bien l'école détruite par les bombardements incessants...
il y a, de ce fait, la représentation sous-jacente de traumatismes, de peurs, de la violence instaurée par Israël et de l'impossibilité pour les Palestiniens et Palestiniennes de construire une vie décente. iels sont constamment déplacé•e•s, entassé•e•s dans des camps et de petites zones ultra surveillées, leur liberté de mouvement est contrôlée et soumise à des restrictions qui se doivent d'être constamment validées mais qui sont, pour la plupart du temps, refusées. il y a les emprisonnements abusifs et excessifs, les humiliations d'une prison à une autre, d'une cellule à une autre et tellement d'autres choses qui constituent le quotidien du peuple palestinien.
j'ai également apprécié la technique utilisée pour illustrer l'histoire (de la linogravure!), l'avant-propos mais aussi les différentes annexes pour recontextualiser l'intrigue et donner plus d'information à la personne qui lit. courez acheter cette BD, elle vaut largement son prix. et ne restez pas silencieuxses, ne vous laissez pas abrutir par nos magnifiques médias français pro-Israël.
July 12, 2024
Prima di tutto preciserei il fatto di aver conosciuto una nuova arte: la linoleografia.
La linoleografia è una tecnica di incisione e stampa artistica diretta, di immagini e grafiche su carta, cartone o stoffa mediante l'uso di una matrice ricavata per incisione da una porzione di linoleum adatto. (Wikipedia)
Ci hanno detto che siamo nati dai sogni di libertà
Così scrive l'autore come messaggio centrale della graphic novel, ma la realtà delle cose in Palestina, non è proprio così, purtroppo!
La graphic novel che ho letto e visionato, è un insieme di testimonianze raccontate dal protagonista, sotto forma di favola moderna, dove il protagonista sogna la libertà perchè è in prigione, con l'aiuto di un amico particolare, un uccello.
Le tavole sono una più sorprendente dell'altra, forse grazie alla tecnica della linoleografia e penso anche all'estro dell'autore, le pagine sono caratterizzate da uno stile molto spigoloso, duro e con una nota pressante di malinconia, che rendono la lettura molto coinvolgente e sofferente.
Gaza è la più grande prigione a cielo aperto del mondo
E ciò non lo è da qualche anno, ma da circa 60 di anni. Le immagini di guer... di genocidio a Gaza in Palestina si moltiplicano ogni giorno. In TV non se ne vede granchè, giusto una notizioncina buttata lì, forse. Ma da altre parti questi immagini colpiscono. Oggi ho visto un video che mi ha strappato il cuore: una bambina che parlava del suo povero padre morto e lei diceva che lui adesso era su in cielo a pregare per noi...
Non è possibile che la storia della civiltà umana sia constellata di tali atrocità e questa non è l'ultima, nè la prima. Grazie a testimonianze come quella che ho appena letto o quelle del giornalista Joe Sacco, di Zerocalcare e molti altri, fortunatamente ne veniamo a conoscenza e la bile si inizia rivoltare per le immonde nefandezze che siamo in grado di mettere sul piatto. Noi una bile ce l'abbiamo ancora e soprattuto abbiamo una vita, ma per molti la vita è stata ed è solo sofferenza e soprusi!
Non importa dove ti trovi, la vita ha bisogno di speranza.
La linoleografia è una tecnica di incisione e stampa artistica diretta, di immagini e grafiche su carta, cartone o stoffa mediante l'uso di una matrice ricavata per incisione da una porzione di linoleum adatto. (Wikipedia)
Ci hanno detto che siamo nati dai sogni di libertà
Così scrive l'autore come messaggio centrale della graphic novel, ma la realtà delle cose in Palestina, non è proprio così, purtroppo!
La graphic novel che ho letto e visionato, è un insieme di testimonianze raccontate dal protagonista, sotto forma di favola moderna, dove il protagonista sogna la libertà perchè è in prigione, con l'aiuto di un amico particolare, un uccello.
Le tavole sono una più sorprendente dell'altra, forse grazie alla tecnica della linoleografia e penso anche all'estro dell'autore, le pagine sono caratterizzate da uno stile molto spigoloso, duro e con una nota pressante di malinconia, che rendono la lettura molto coinvolgente e sofferente.
Gaza è la più grande prigione a cielo aperto del mondo
E ciò non lo è da qualche anno, ma da circa 60 di anni. Le immagini di guer... di genocidio a Gaza in Palestina si moltiplicano ogni giorno. In TV non se ne vede granchè, giusto una notizioncina buttata lì, forse. Ma da altre parti questi immagini colpiscono. Oggi ho visto un video che mi ha strappato il cuore: una bambina che parlava del suo povero padre morto e lei diceva che lui adesso era su in cielo a pregare per noi...
Non è possibile che la storia della civiltà umana sia constellata di tali atrocità e questa non è l'ultima, nè la prima. Grazie a testimonianze come quella che ho appena letto o quelle del giornalista Joe Sacco, di Zerocalcare e molti altri, fortunatamente ne veniamo a conoscenza e la bile si inizia rivoltare per le immonde nefandezze che siamo in grado di mettere sul piatto. Noi una bile ce l'abbiamo ancora e soprattuto abbiamo una vita, ma per molti la vita è stata ed è solo sofferenza e soprusi!
Non importa dove ti trovi, la vita ha bisogno di speranza.
March 28, 2024
Powerful & heartbreaking stories with unbelievable linocut artwork. It will stick with me.
“Caged men and caged birds are the same. Our power is born from the dreams of freedom.”
“Caged men and caged birds are the same. Our power is born from the dreams of freedom.”
September 22, 2022
The linocut artwork and story telling is not as good as Joe Sacco's "Palestine" or "Foot notes from Gaza". But the message it tries to convey is very heart rending. The message to the world is how the Israeli occupation of Gaza ,West Bank and Jerusalem through Annexation walls, Settler colonialism and Administrative Detention affected the normalcy of several generations of Palestinians for more than half a century.
March 16, 2022
The stories in Sabaaneh’s graphic novel allow readers to “see and feel the reality of Palestinian lives.” They include a woman being forced to give birth at a checkpoint to Jerusalem, Gazans with one eye always to the sky to watch out for Israeli drones, and tales from a Palestinian teacher who still hopes for justice and a free Palestine.
Readers unfamiliar with the Israeli occupation of Palestine will appreciate the brief but thorough essays, with cited sources, that close out the book.
Read my full review on SLJ's website here: https://www.slj.com/review/power-born...
Readers unfamiliar with the Israeli occupation of Palestine will appreciate the brief but thorough essays, with cited sources, that close out the book.
Read my full review on SLJ's website here: https://www.slj.com/review/power-born...
November 7, 2023
I loved the lino-cut art in this, it really helped convey the emotions and story and reflected them well. This is such an important read and Sahaaneh does an amazing job at sharing his story and others stories too. The content in this book doesn't only happen to one person, it happens in multitudes.
November 25, 2023
highly recommend to anyone looking to listen to Palestinian voices and learn more about the history & present of the area. this is a graphic novel so super quick read! each image in this book is a hand-carved linocut, which is insanely cool
December 24, 2024
“one day you realize you have acquired your share of your country’s suffering. it is the price we pay, so cry a little. then smile for the hope of his historic justice that may come”
forever thankful for the cultural workers who bring stories like this to life through their art. the linocut pieces that lay the foundation for the book were so so beautiful. free all political prisoners. free Palestine in our lifetime. 🌟
forever thankful for the cultural workers who bring stories like this to life through their art. the linocut pieces that lay the foundation for the book were so so beautiful. free all political prisoners. free Palestine in our lifetime. 🌟
Read
January 1, 2024I’m not normally a comic book person but this was beautiful. It used a unique art form weaved together with a beautiful story, and incorporated hard-hitting and comprehensive statistics without detracting from the format. I particularly liked the geographical aspect. Throwback to Arabic Prison Writing🥺
December 10, 2022
Beautifully harrowing linocuts of the author's experiences in an Israeli prison, and a few brief stories of other Palestinians pushing up against Israeli oppression. Overall a powerful message, but the brevity of each story meant a missed opportunity to see anything besides the surface level of a given conflict. I wish the book went deeper into one or two stories, rather than flitting around like the bird who delivered them.
March 18, 2024
“Imagine que ton rêve, c'est d'enterrer ton enfant.”
March 21, 2025
Haunting. The mouths that gape, filled with what? Yelling, hunger, sorrow. A city in a birdcage. “Caged men and caged birds are the same. Our power is born from the dreams of freedom.”
September 15, 2025
„My story is Palestine” - taki podtytuł widnieje na okładce komiksu Mohammeda Sabaaneha i jest to doskonałe podsumowanie tego, co czeka czytelniczkę na kolejnych stronach albumu. To zapis palestyńskiego doświadczenia w całej wielowymiarowości tragedii. Krótkie scenki, pojedyncze momenty codziennego życia, które pozwalają zrozumieć na czym polega zniewolenie całego narodu.
Mohammed Sabaaneh to palestyński rysownik i aktywista, który pracę nad komiksem rozpoczął w izraelskim więzieniu, gdzie został wtrącony z przyczyn politycznych. Jego łącznikiem ze światem zewnętrznym zostaje mały ptaszek, który regularnie odwiedza go w zakładzie karnym przynosząc historie z zewnątrz i zabierając ze sobą na wolność opowieść artysty. Wszystkie one mówią o tym samym - Palestyńczyk przebywa w więzieniu zawsze, nie musi być zamknięty za kratami. Jego życie z każdej strony ograniczają mury - te fizyczne i te symboliczne.
Sabaaneh tworząc komiks zdecydował się wykorzystać technikę linorytu, aby upamiętnić innych skazanych za pochodzenie, których imiona były wyryte na ścianach cel. Ich przekaz jest porażający i bardzo wyrazisty. Są jak cierń wbity prosto w serce. To cierpienie niemożliwe do zniesienia, które rozpoczyna się jeszcze przed narodzinami człowieka.
Chociaż autor stara się zostawić jakiś okruch nadziei, pokazać, że z tych historii może płynąć siła, działania I☠️raela z ostatnich dwóch lat pokazują, że to myślenie magiczne. I ja wiem, że po prostu trzeba trzymać się tej myśli, że któregoś dnia to się musi skończyć, bo inaczej można zwariować, ale mnie zalewa fala smutku, złości i przerażenia.
Czytam zgromadzone na końcu komiksu fakty, które w bardzo syntetyczny sposób pokazują jak przez dziesięciolecia łamane są kolejne przepisy prawa międzynarodowego, patrzę na zupełną bezczynność większości zachodnich rządów dziś, kiedy na ekranach telefonów oglądamy lud0bójstw0 i chce mi się wyć z bezsilności.
Jedyne co mogę, to nie odwracać oczu, krzyczeć bez końca i walczyć o ratunek dla tej wspaniałej dziewczyny, której jedyną winą jest przyjście na świat w złym miejscu.
Mohammed Sabaaneh to palestyński rysownik i aktywista, który pracę nad komiksem rozpoczął w izraelskim więzieniu, gdzie został wtrącony z przyczyn politycznych. Jego łącznikiem ze światem zewnętrznym zostaje mały ptaszek, który regularnie odwiedza go w zakładzie karnym przynosząc historie z zewnątrz i zabierając ze sobą na wolność opowieść artysty. Wszystkie one mówią o tym samym - Palestyńczyk przebywa w więzieniu zawsze, nie musi być zamknięty za kratami. Jego życie z każdej strony ograniczają mury - te fizyczne i te symboliczne.
Sabaaneh tworząc komiks zdecydował się wykorzystać technikę linorytu, aby upamiętnić innych skazanych za pochodzenie, których imiona były wyryte na ścianach cel. Ich przekaz jest porażający i bardzo wyrazisty. Są jak cierń wbity prosto w serce. To cierpienie niemożliwe do zniesienia, które rozpoczyna się jeszcze przed narodzinami człowieka.
Chociaż autor stara się zostawić jakiś okruch nadziei, pokazać, że z tych historii może płynąć siła, działania I☠️raela z ostatnich dwóch lat pokazują, że to myślenie magiczne. I ja wiem, że po prostu trzeba trzymać się tej myśli, że któregoś dnia to się musi skończyć, bo inaczej można zwariować, ale mnie zalewa fala smutku, złości i przerażenia.
Czytam zgromadzone na końcu komiksu fakty, które w bardzo syntetyczny sposób pokazują jak przez dziesięciolecia łamane są kolejne przepisy prawa międzynarodowego, patrzę na zupełną bezczynność większości zachodnich rządów dziś, kiedy na ekranach telefonów oglądamy lud0bójstw0 i chce mi się wyć z bezsilności.
Jedyne co mogę, to nie odwracać oczu, krzyczeć bez końca i walczyć o ratunek dla tej wspaniałej dziewczyny, której jedyną winą jest przyjście na świat w złym miejscu.
June 2, 2024
Helpful read to understand a Palestinian point of view. I especially appreciated the summaries of: 1967 Occupation & West Bank Settlements, Gaza, Oslo Interim Agreement, Annexation Wall, Kafr Aqab, and Administrative Detention.
November 29, 2022
This was really powerful. Going in I really didn’t pay much mine to the art style until it hit that linocut printing has to be carved. I would love to see those original cuts put on display somewhere in an exhibit.
January 14, 2025
Power Born of Dreams is a graphic novel about the author's experience as a Palestinian political prisoner in an Israeli prison. Sabaaneh use linocuts (pictures carved in linoleum), which he was inspired to use in his storytelling after he was not able to carve his name on his cell wall. The story itself tells of a bird who comes to his cell window and offers to bring him stories to write down from the people of Palestine. The stories tell of lives that are prisons of their own due to the occupation of Israel.
This book is short, but impactful. The linocut art is a unique part of that impact -- bold, sometimes harsh and high-contrast. The message, using the device of the bird delivering stories, simple, yet clear and Sabaaneh effectively calls attention to the plight of his people. There is also some useful information in the back of the book giving context to Palestine's history and the history of the Israeli occupation. I've learned a lot of this history through reading on the subject, but this material was a good short overview that was helpful review (or good context for those who don't know the history).
I definitely recommend this book for people who are reading Palestinian authors and continuing to share stories of those affected -- it's a short, but important read.
This book is short, but impactful. The linocut art is a unique part of that impact -- bold, sometimes harsh and high-contrast. The message, using the device of the bird delivering stories, simple, yet clear and Sabaaneh effectively calls attention to the plight of his people. There is also some useful information in the back of the book giving context to Palestine's history and the history of the Israeli occupation. I've learned a lot of this history through reading on the subject, but this material was a good short overview that was helpful review (or good context for those who don't know the history).
I definitely recommend this book for people who are reading Palestinian authors and continuing to share stories of those affected -- it's a short, but important read.
July 29, 2025
Dur mais nécessaire, les dossiers de fin m'ont vraiment permis de mieux comprendre certaines choses et conflits que j'ai toujours eu du mal à comprendre à propos de la Palestine, de Gaza et d'Israël.
October 28, 2023
today's pick is Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine by Mohammad Sabaaneh. Published by Street Noise Books in 2021.
Content notes for being in prison, colonialization, torture, and harm against people of all ages.
A very poetic story telling style, Sabaaneh spends some but only a little time recounting events in a literal way. There's lots of symbolism, metaphor, magical realism (for lack of a better term) and other techniques to expand our emotional and factual understanding of the situation and humanize some of the most dehumanized.
A Palestinian artist and cartoonist, Mohammad Sabaaneh has done work for a great number of newspapers and been featured in international art exhibits. For a full rundown of each of these instances and for an up to date feed of some of his political cartoons, you can check out his profile on Cartoon Movement separate content warning for that feed, because so many children are being killed in the current bombardment in Gaza, a lot of these cartoons as of my writing this on the 26th of October 2023 are expressing a lot of outrage over the bodies of dead children.
Power Born of Dream is based off of Sabaaneh's own experience as a political prisoner in Israel. And as of the publication of this book he lived in Ramallah in the West Bank. I was surprised but not surprised by a reference in his author's note to the influence of and friendship with Seth Tobocman who is also a very interesting and worthwhile comics creator to read and follow. Would recommend.
Striking and very unique, the use of linocut to create this compact and impactful graphic novel really augmented the stories being told. The stark white on black, similar but also pretty distinct from the style of Zeina Abirached, who has written two books of their own about growing up in the middle of a military conflict.
Looking at the different identities presented in the book, as I do for all my reviews...
Obviously our social construct of race and ethnicity is both very focused on and understandably one note.
Sabaaneh also highlights the physical and mental toll/debilitating nature of colonization.
And our focus is literally on people living as the lowest and most dehumanized class of their country.
Gender and sexuality are not explored.
Wrapping things up. Obviously this is a five star read for me. A strong, creative and impactful read. Obviously not a children's book, but honestly something I would say almost everyone who considers themselves an adult should take in.
Content notes for being in prison, colonialization, torture, and harm against people of all ages.
A very poetic story telling style, Sabaaneh spends some but only a little time recounting events in a literal way. There's lots of symbolism, metaphor, magical realism (for lack of a better term) and other techniques to expand our emotional and factual understanding of the situation and humanize some of the most dehumanized.
A Palestinian artist and cartoonist, Mohammad Sabaaneh has done work for a great number of newspapers and been featured in international art exhibits. For a full rundown of each of these instances and for an up to date feed of some of his political cartoons, you can check out his profile on Cartoon Movement separate content warning for that feed, because so many children are being killed in the current bombardment in Gaza, a lot of these cartoons as of my writing this on the 26th of October 2023 are expressing a lot of outrage over the bodies of dead children.
Power Born of Dream is based off of Sabaaneh's own experience as a political prisoner in Israel. And as of the publication of this book he lived in Ramallah in the West Bank. I was surprised but not surprised by a reference in his author's note to the influence of and friendship with Seth Tobocman who is also a very interesting and worthwhile comics creator to read and follow. Would recommend.
Striking and very unique, the use of linocut to create this compact and impactful graphic novel really augmented the stories being told. The stark white on black, similar but also pretty distinct from the style of Zeina Abirached, who has written two books of their own about growing up in the middle of a military conflict.
Looking at the different identities presented in the book, as I do for all my reviews...
Obviously our social construct of race and ethnicity is both very focused on and understandably one note.
Sabaaneh also highlights the physical and mental toll/debilitating nature of colonization.
And our focus is literally on people living as the lowest and most dehumanized class of their country.
Gender and sexuality are not explored.
Wrapping things up. Obviously this is a five star read for me. A strong, creative and impactful read. Obviously not a children's book, but honestly something I would say almost everyone who considers themselves an adult should take in.
Read
April 8, 2022Full of brutal renditions of prison cells, guns, planes, and mourning faces, Power Born of Dreams never loses its artistic beauty in its own darkness. While the black and white linocut art conveys a totalitarian cruelty, the message is of hope for freedom and peace. It focuses more on the stories of Palestinians than their Israeli oppressors.
This isn't really a story about Mohammad Sabaaneh as much as it is his story about Palestine. His artistic license to emphasize certain injustices and particular stories to plead his country's case to the reader. So much death and the world turns a blind eye. The stories he chose to highlight are heartbreaking and the use of the art and spare words are convey so much emotion.
This graphic history/current events testimony gives background information both at the back of the book in an appendix and within the text about the Nakba invasion, the 1967 encroachment, and the wall being built to cut off the West Bank. We read about Palestine slowly being devoured by military forces and the invasion of Israeli settlers occupying their land. In his art, we see the heartbreak and the unfairness. Murder, interrogations, unequal access to clean water, housing, medical needs, and electricity.
It's sort of a graphic essay. It doesn't sustain a narrative through the book which I think made it less engrossing. It felt more like an appeal from a political prisoner than a true memoir or the author's personal stories as is printed on the cover. The lack of a narrative plus the cold, stark illustration style does hold the reader at arm's length until the empathetic stories of Palestinians are presented partway through and break through that barrier.
Well executed and powerful message. Palestine still remains unjustly occupied today. One day, Palestine will be free.
content warnings: kidnapping, imprisonment, murder, apartheid, children in danger, pregnancy/child birth in warzone, parent/child separation, mourning.
This isn't really a story about Mohammad Sabaaneh as much as it is his story about Palestine. His artistic license to emphasize certain injustices and particular stories to plead his country's case to the reader. So much death and the world turns a blind eye. The stories he chose to highlight are heartbreaking and the use of the art and spare words are convey so much emotion.
This graphic history/current events testimony gives background information both at the back of the book in an appendix and within the text about the Nakba invasion, the 1967 encroachment, and the wall being built to cut off the West Bank. We read about Palestine slowly being devoured by military forces and the invasion of Israeli settlers occupying their land. In his art, we see the heartbreak and the unfairness. Murder, interrogations, unequal access to clean water, housing, medical needs, and electricity.
It's sort of a graphic essay. It doesn't sustain a narrative through the book which I think made it less engrossing. It felt more like an appeal from a political prisoner than a true memoir or the author's personal stories as is printed on the cover. The lack of a narrative plus the cold, stark illustration style does hold the reader at arm's length until the empathetic stories of Palestinians are presented partway through and break through that barrier.
Well executed and powerful message. Palestine still remains unjustly occupied today. One day, Palestine will be free.
content warnings: kidnapping, imprisonment, murder, apartheid, children in danger, pregnancy/child birth in warzone, parent/child separation, mourning.
November 6, 2023
Graphic narrative of life & lives lived under the apartheid regime in Palestine. Walls, barred windows, & cages are everywhere. Very stylized, similar to the 1920s “wordless novels” (though very much not wordless) or the 1920s woodcut revival graphic novels. In that way Power Born of Dreams reminded me a little bit of Stigmata. The prison regime combined with a bird friend reminds me of some of the vignettes from Guantanamo Voices. Despite the topic, not super topical.
Read
March 31, 2024A short glimpse of some aspects the Palestinian cause; the humanitarian cause that started before the 1948 Nakba and is still happening right now as I am typing these letters.
Justice will always prevail no matter how long it takes and how big the sacrifices are, as resistance exists. The only solution is dismantling the settler colonial genocidal state of so-called "Israel"; no "peace talks", no agreements, whatsoever.
Justice will always prevail no matter how long it takes and how big the sacrifices are, as resistance exists. The only solution is dismantling the settler colonial genocidal state of so-called "Israel"; no "peace talks", no agreements, whatsoever.
June 22, 2021
This graphic novel reflects upon the Israel-Palestine conflict through the lens of the author’s (artist’s) time in prison. At first, I found the story to be an evocative personal account of life in prison, but as the story continued it felt progressively less personal and more propagandistic. The central theme is that Palestinians feel imprisoned by circumstance, regardless of whether they are actually in a jail or not.
Still, it’s not the kind of work that will advance a dialogue. It will rub those who sympathize with Israel the wrong way because it’s far from an unbiased account of events, vilifying the Israelis while glorifying (or failing to acknowledge) the Palestinians who engage in violence. This bias is particularly notable in the back matter, which presents accounts that seem journalistic, but which selectively present information to make it appear that all fault lies exclusively on one side.
To be fair, the author spent time in jail for (as best I could learn from the internet) what sounded like consorting with unsavory characters. [Which reeks of Soviet-style “justice,” but the book doesn’t really delve into the reason for his imprisonment, and – even if it did – I’m not sure that I’d trust that it’s the complete truth – given the way the general narrative is presented. So, I couldn’t tell you whether the author is an artist wrongly imprisoned for expressing himself, or whether he did something that was truly and legitimately seditious.]
The art is linocut to create a chiaroscuro effect (i.e. white lines, black background) and is stylistically interesting.
I enjoyed the art and found this to be an interesting read, but I wouldn’t recommend readers take it at face value as a fair account of the conflict, but rather as one man’s personal message about the conflict.
Still, it’s not the kind of work that will advance a dialogue. It will rub those who sympathize with Israel the wrong way because it’s far from an unbiased account of events, vilifying the Israelis while glorifying (or failing to acknowledge) the Palestinians who engage in violence. This bias is particularly notable in the back matter, which presents accounts that seem journalistic, but which selectively present information to make it appear that all fault lies exclusively on one side.
To be fair, the author spent time in jail for (as best I could learn from the internet) what sounded like consorting with unsavory characters. [Which reeks of Soviet-style “justice,” but the book doesn’t really delve into the reason for his imprisonment, and – even if it did – I’m not sure that I’d trust that it’s the complete truth – given the way the general narrative is presented. So, I couldn’t tell you whether the author is an artist wrongly imprisoned for expressing himself, or whether he did something that was truly and legitimately seditious.]
The art is linocut to create a chiaroscuro effect (i.e. white lines, black background) and is stylistically interesting.
I enjoyed the art and found this to be an interesting read, but I wouldn’t recommend readers take it at face value as a fair account of the conflict, but rather as one man’s personal message about the conflict.
July 8, 2022
This was one of my picks for this round of Amplify Bookstore’s Discovery Pack. I’ve been trying to keep up with the books so that they don’t end up sitting on my shelves and since this one is just over 100 pages, it seemed like the perfect one to read almost straight away. This is a really simple graphic novel, but I really enjoyed it. All of the pages were linocut printings and I really liked that style—I loved the intensity of the black and white images and I thought it went really well with the story that is being told. I do wish it was longer because I wanted to know more about Sabaaneh’s story and the others as well, but maybe it wouldn’t have felt as impactful if it had been longer. I know that Sabaneeh has another book about Palestine in this same style and I’m definitely interested in trying to get my hands on that one as well. All in all, this was definitely a successful pick from this round of the Discovery Pack, crossing fingers that the second book is as well!
February 11, 2022
"Caged men and caged birds are the same. Our power is born from the dreams of freedom."
I really liked this short graphic narrative by a Palestinian cartoonist and former political prisoner, about his own experience of incarceration and stories of life across Palestine. The linocut printing makes the art more striking and impressive, especially given the artist's explanation for using that medium ("I was unable to carve my name onto the walls of my prison cell. I've long wondered how prisoners are able to carve their names into those rough prison walls.").
Shoutout to the local library, which keeps a collection of new comic books like this displayed near the front. This is the second excellent indie graphic memoir I've discovered and enjoyed that way this year so far.
I really liked this short graphic narrative by a Palestinian cartoonist and former political prisoner, about his own experience of incarceration and stories of life across Palestine. The linocut printing makes the art more striking and impressive, especially given the artist's explanation for using that medium ("I was unable to carve my name onto the walls of my prison cell. I've long wondered how prisoners are able to carve their names into those rough prison walls.").
Shoutout to the local library, which keeps a collection of new comic books like this displayed near the front. This is the second excellent indie graphic memoir I've discovered and enjoyed that way this year so far.
June 25, 2025
Bellissima graphic novel realizzata con la stampa linoleografica, quindi particolarissima nella parte grafica e davvero d'impatto per il lettore.
Mohammad Sabaaneh propone poche storie in poche tavole nelle quali però concentra tutta la potenza claustrofobica della vita in palestina, dove le persone vivono incastrate tra continui check-point, possibili arresti, difficoltà di movimento e il senso di soffocamento che deriva dal vivere in un mondo sempre più piccolo e sempre più pervaso dal terrore e dal disagio.
Mohammad Sabaaneh propone poche storie in poche tavole nelle quali però concentra tutta la potenza claustrofobica della vita in palestina, dove le persone vivono incastrate tra continui check-point, possibili arresti, difficoltà di movimento e il senso di soffocamento che deriva dal vivere in un mondo sempre più piccolo e sempre più pervaso dal terrore e dal disagio.
April 16, 2024
I'm laying in my bed like a puddle right now, and I have no idea how to react to this book....
This grafic novel is like a reality check wrapped into a gut punch and beautiful illustrations all in one
All I'm going to say is that EVERYONE should read this now!!!
Side note: this was such a good book to kickstart the Pages 4 Palestine readathon!
This grafic novel is like a reality check wrapped into a gut punch and beautiful illustrations all in one
All I'm going to say is that EVERYONE should read this now!!!
Side note: this was such a good book to kickstart the Pages 4 Palestine readathon!
October 21, 2023
Brief but powerful enough in its short execution to bring a strong man who cares about humanity to tears. Free Palestine 🇵🇸 and lift up the indigenous arts for their own beauty and meaning and as acts of resistance!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews