Sharon and My Mother-in-Law - Suad Amiry

 

This was a book that I stumbled upon by chance. And, I have to admit, I was attracted first of all by the title (and I might or might not have thought it was a reference to Sharon Stone) before reading what the book was about. 

Obviously, the titular Sharon was Ariel Sharon after all, and I thought this was a good book in "general" literary terms and an excellent one considering the topic and the viewpoint. It offers a very insightful overview of the Palestinian situation and life in Ramallah (and the borderline hopelessness of the idea of a two-state solution, even before the latest bouts of this never-ending conflict). 

And yet, as one reads this book one also has to remember that someone like Suad Amiry is (and she does recognize it herself) a privileged Palestinian - highly educated, living in Ramallah, with international links, financial stability, and an ability to find ways to get her voice heard. Millions of people are in even more precarious positions.