A review by roctothorpe
Palestinian Walks: Forays Into a Vanishing Landscape by Raja Shehadeh

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

Through a series of six walks spanning from 1978 to 2006, Shahadeh takes us through the changing landscape of Palestine and how illegal Israeli settlement and occupation have reshaped and restricted the land over the years. The concept of a sarha, an expedition where one can freely roam without limitation, is something that resonates strongly with me. Shahadeh so poignantly captures his deep connection to the land and the sense of loss when that freedom is stolen. The final walk had me tearing up where he encounters an Israeli settler and they debate their conflicting views about conservation, theft, and ownership over the hills that they share a mutual love for. I listened to this on a run through my home city and it made me stop with intention to take in the landscape around me and to think about what it means to have a right to the land. 

Palestine will be free.