A Woman of Nazareth

Book excerpt: Hala Deeb Jabbour considers her novel, A Woman of Nazareth a mission that stems from her belief that a lasting peace in the Middle East will only come when both sides understand the concerns of the other. A Woman of Nazareth seeks to air out the Palestinian side of the saga and validate the Palestinian people's emotions. Amal, the heroine, is a woman steeped in Middle Eastern tradition seeking to escape to forge a better life for herself and her children. Amal figuratively portrays the Palestinian people-encouraging them to break with the tradition of hate and to overcome the fear of moving forward toward peace in order to create a better life for themselves and their children. It is a moving and captivating novel, a page-turner, which leaves the reader with a better understanding of the tangled web of the Middle East. Learn more at www.zaribah.com