A Young Palestinian's Diary, 1941–1945

Book excerpt: Covering four crucial years of social and political change, this diary offers an intimate view of life in Palestine and sheds new light on its history. Writing in his late teens and early twenties, Sami ‘Amr gave his diary an apt subtitle: The Battle of Life, encapsulating both the political climate of Palestine in the waning years of the British Mandate as well as the contrasting joys and troubles of family life. Now translated from the Arabic, Sami’s diary represents a rare artifact of turbulent change in the Middle East. Written over four years, these ruminations of a young man from Hebron brim with revelations about daily life against a backdrop of tremendous transition. Describing the public and the private, the modern and the traditional, Sami muses on relationships, his station in life, and other personal experiences while sharing numerous details about a pivotal moment in Palestine’s modern history. Making these never-before-published reflections available in translation, Kimberly Katz also provides illuminating context and biographical details. One of a limited number of Palestinian diaries available to English-language readers, the diary of Sami ‘Amr bridges significant chasms in our understanding of Palestinian and Middle Eastern history.