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The Mountainous Journey: A Poet's Autobiography
Born in 1917 to the wealthy Palestinian Touqan family known for their accomplishments in many fields, Fadwa was restricted to remaining home at age 13. Her education was taken up by her brother who taught her poetry and encouraged her in becoming a distinguished poet. With the fall of Palestine in 1948, Fadwa's world opens up, allowing her to interact with male and female, colleagues, travel, and become politically aware. By 1967, her poetry had shifted from portraying women's hardships in the Arab world to the difficulties of life under Israeli occupation and she soon devoted herself to Palestinian causes. Her autobiography depicts her journey from a life of madated attire and seclusion to becoming a symbol of the Palestinian cause and "one of the most distinguished figures of modern Arabic literature."
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1990
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About the author
Fadwa Tuqan
18 books28 followersFadwa Touqan (Arabic: فدوى طوقان, also transliterated as Fadwa Tuqan, Spanish: Fadwa Tuqan, French: Fadwa Touquan and Fadwa Touqan; 1917 in Nablus – 2003), was well known for her representations of resistance to Israeli occupation in contemporary Arab poetry.
Touqan's poetry is known for her distinctive chronicling of the suffering of her people, the Palestinian, particularly those living under Israeli occupation.
Born in Nablus to the wealthy Palestinian Touqan family known for their accomplishments in many fields, she received schooling until age 13 when she was forced to quit school at a young age due to illness. One of her brothers, Ibrahim Touqan, known as the Poet of Palestine, took responsibility of educating her, gave her books to read and taught her English. He was also the one who introduced her to poetry. Touqan eventually attended Oxford University, where she studied English and literature.
Fadwa Touqan's eldest brother is Ahmad Toukan, former Prime Minister of Jordan.
Touqan eventually published eight poetry collections, which were translated into many languages and enjoy renown throughout the Arab World. Her book, "Alone With the Days," focused on the hardships faced by women in the male-dominated Arab world. After the Six-Day War, Touqan's poetry focused on the hardships of living under the Israeli occupation. One of her best known poems, "The Night and the Horsemen," described life under Israeli military rule.
Touqan died on December 12, 2003 during the height of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, while her hometown of Nablus was under siege. The poem Wahsha: Moustalhama min Qanoon al Jathibiya (Longing: Inspired by the Law of Gravity) was one of the last poems she penned while largely bedridden.
Touqan is widely considered a symbol of the Palestinian cause and "one of the most distinguished figures of modern Arabic literature."
Touqan's poetry is set by Mohammed Fairouz in his Third Symphony.
(from Wikipedia)
Touqan's poetry is known for her distinctive chronicling of the suffering of her people, the Palestinian, particularly those living under Israeli occupation.
Born in Nablus to the wealthy Palestinian Touqan family known for their accomplishments in many fields, she received schooling until age 13 when she was forced to quit school at a young age due to illness. One of her brothers, Ibrahim Touqan, known as the Poet of Palestine, took responsibility of educating her, gave her books to read and taught her English. He was also the one who introduced her to poetry. Touqan eventually attended Oxford University, where she studied English and literature.
Fadwa Touqan's eldest brother is Ahmad Toukan, former Prime Minister of Jordan.
Touqan eventually published eight poetry collections, which were translated into many languages and enjoy renown throughout the Arab World. Her book, "Alone With the Days," focused on the hardships faced by women in the male-dominated Arab world. After the Six-Day War, Touqan's poetry focused on the hardships of living under the Israeli occupation. One of her best known poems, "The Night and the Horsemen," described life under Israeli military rule.
Touqan died on December 12, 2003 during the height of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, while her hometown of Nablus was under siege. The poem Wahsha: Moustalhama min Qanoon al Jathibiya (Longing: Inspired by the Law of Gravity) was one of the last poems she penned while largely bedridden.
Touqan is widely considered a symbol of the Palestinian cause and "one of the most distinguished figures of modern Arabic literature."
Touqan's poetry is set by Mohammed Fairouz in his Third Symphony.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 9, 2022
This was a highly interesting and unexpectedly gripping autobiography, and despite its many flaws I found myself totally engrossed in the story of Fadwa Tuqan's life - no matter how disjointly told.
Beautifully and very lyrically written you can just tell that the author has a way with words, which she knows to use expertly to make the reader feel deeply her grief, desperation, and melancholy, as well as relate to the things she had to go through and the odds she had to face as a freethinking female writer in a very restrictive and traditional Arab setting.
No matter how poetically written, however, this work also has quite some recurring flaws regarding the book's structure: For one, the timeline is not as chronological as it should be in a biography, which makes events rather hard to follow at times. Furthermore, some chapters are intensely repetitive and the points the author wants to make often only become clear once the reader has a lot more context a handful of chapters later. These flaws of consistency severely hampered my reading enjoyment of the book, though I would still consider this a worthwhile read for whoever is interested in a woman writer's unique perspective on life in 20th century Palestine.
Beautifully and very lyrically written you can just tell that the author has a way with words, which she knows to use expertly to make the reader feel deeply her grief, desperation, and melancholy, as well as relate to the things she had to go through and the odds she had to face as a freethinking female writer in a very restrictive and traditional Arab setting.
No matter how poetically written, however, this work also has quite some recurring flaws regarding the book's structure: For one, the timeline is not as chronological as it should be in a biography, which makes events rather hard to follow at times. Furthermore, some chapters are intensely repetitive and the points the author wants to make often only become clear once the reader has a lot more context a handful of chapters later. These flaws of consistency severely hampered my reading enjoyment of the book, though I would still consider this a worthwhile read for whoever is interested in a woman writer's unique perspective on life in 20th century Palestine.
November 11, 2007
If you wnat to understand the Palestianian conflict, from the perspective of a native of the region, this is the book for you.
It tells Fadwa Tuqan's live story.
Here is a little excerpt (I find fascinating)
Sell your mother and buy a rifle
The Rifle's better than your mother
When it's action dispels your grief
The book ends with 20 pages of her poems that are out of this world good
It tells Fadwa Tuqan's live story.
Here is a little excerpt (I find fascinating)
Sell your mother and buy a rifle
The Rifle's better than your mother
When it's action dispels your grief
The book ends with 20 pages of her poems that are out of this world good
October 21, 2012
Amazing and personal too!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews