A review by bibliofienna
I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti

5.0

A profound Palestinian memoir of living in exile, an important literary work representing the subjugated and quashed.

Reading Mourid al-Bargouti's memoir, I felt his despair of living everywhere but his own hometown. The book recounts his childhood and growing up in a town he can only return to with a green card issued by Israel, the invader. Yet, there's an undercurrent of resilience amidst the concede. Through his perspective, we witness the detailed impact of the Occupation on Palestinians, both in exile and within the occupied territories. We can see the occupation has fractured a shared goal of a Free Palestine, dividing the people into different factions. Despite the divisions, they're living the nightmare all the same. As Barghouti might say, "life will not be simplified."

His writing is poetic, blurring the lines between memories and reality as he relies on the unordered flow of his recollections.  Reading Barghouti's story, it's like an enforcement of validation that Israel has been playing the same game since the beginning and I felt a deep empathy for the Palestinian people's plight. It compels me to continue my share of fight until Palestine is free. I hope I inspire you to read I Saw Ramallah