Mornings in Jenin in Book Challenge 2016 (52 books to be read in 52 weeks)

Book number two for my reading challenge is Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa (338 pages, including author’s note, glossary, references and reading group guide) . This is the story that spans four generations of the Abulheja family, from the 1940s to the present day. A woman, fleeing with her family to a refugee camp in Jenin, finds her baby son torn from her arms. This act sets in motion the family’s future as they struggle to make a place for themselves in war-torn Palestine and beyond.

I picked this book up on 4th, after finishing The Red Notebook, but I didn’t really start reading until the following day. Part of me is still not 100% sure I enjoyed this book (maybe it’s the heat - 35 odd degree Celsius days, and lack of sleep at night). I finished the bulk of the book today, and the ending was definitely worth the wait. There’s nothing tidy about this book. There is a reason why its front cover describes it as a bestseller. This is one book I’m not sure I’d re-read due to its exhausting narrative. There’s only so much war, devastation and heartbreak this little reader can take!

Books Read: 2/52. (Pages Read: 497)