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A review by ironi
Jerusalem, Drawn and Quartered: One Woman's Year in the Heart of the Christian, Muslim, Armenian, and Jewish Quarters of Old Jerusalem by Sarah Tuttle-Singer
5.0
I want to start this review with talking about this Monday when I had the chance to meet the author. I've been following Sarah's writing on Facebook and TOI and I love it. So I was really fangirling when meeting her. She was amazing. Not just because of her wisedom and thoughts (although yes) but because of how wam and genuine she was. She managed to make everyone around her feel special and loved. Between if it was compliementing people, listening sincerely, taking a picture of my tattoo or sharing her glass of whiskey with all the participants of the conversation, I am so full of admiration towards her.
So, the book. I'm so happy that this book was so good. It highlighted the best parts of my favorite city and hometown. It enterwined the politics, love, Sarah's own journey and history, the smells and tastes of the city and just managed to make them beautiful together. It showed how it all comes together, broken and scarred yet perfect.
Readers of TOI will recognize some parts but there's so much that's new. Watching it come together was also amazing, seeing the behind the scenes.
Sarah is such a role model to me. It's incredible to hear someone say the exact words you feel, manage to be a Zionist and yet care about the Palestinian cause, to be a perfect mermaid, dance between worlds. I could have quoted three quarters of this book because it's all so pretty.
So, I fear I must end this review short but you guys all need to read this book. It's wondeful.
What I'm Taking with Me
- Understanding someone else's pain does not take away from your truth. That is, admitting Palestinians experienced great pain in 1948 does not mean I'm apologizing for Israel's victory.
- This is a life path you can take. I can actually go live in the Old City and write a book (well, I won't cause that's been done obviously) but I want to do something like this.
- You can befriend anyone. If you stay long enough in a certain place, you will make it home. Even with the bad, we are able to overcome.
So, the book. I'm so happy that this book was so good. It highlighted the best parts of my favorite city and hometown. It enterwined the politics, love, Sarah's own journey and history, the smells and tastes of the city and just managed to make them beautiful together. It showed how it all comes together, broken and scarred yet perfect.
Readers of TOI will recognize some parts but there's so much that's new. Watching it come together was also amazing, seeing the behind the scenes.
Sarah is such a role model to me. It's incredible to hear someone say the exact words you feel, manage to be a Zionist and yet care about the Palestinian cause, to be a perfect mermaid, dance between worlds. I could have quoted three quarters of this book because it's all so pretty.
So, I fear I must end this review short but you guys all need to read this book. It's wondeful.
What I'm Taking with Me
- Understanding someone else's pain does not take away from your truth. That is, admitting Palestinians experienced great pain in 1948 does not mean I'm apologizing for Israel's victory.
- This is a life path you can take. I can actually go live in the Old City and write a book (well, I won't cause that's been done obviously) but I want to do something like this.
- You can befriend anyone. If you stay long enough in a certain place, you will make it home. Even with the bad, we are able to overcome.