Customer Reviews

The Olive Grove: A Palestinian Story

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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Deborah Rohan's, "The Olive Grove" is a powerful and influential read. I braced myself for a propagandistic political statement, as many books of this genre can be, but was pleasantly surprised to instead find an unbiased, compassionate narrative of a family's history. Though the book tells a Palestinian story, the descriptions of historical events are carefully constructed to provide only fact without personal opinion. Ms. Rohan thus earns the reader's trust from the very beginning, enabling them to relax, put down their defenses, and devote full attention to the tragic and eye opening journey of the Moghrabi family. This is a recommended read for someone who wishes to learn more about the history of the Palestinian people or for someone who simply enjoys a meaningful and emotional story. With every story that is told, we are one step closer to reaching a peaceful resolution for the conflict in the Middle East.

Deborah Rohan does an excellent job in The Olive Grove. Her eloquent prose brings to life the struggle of dispossession that thousands of Palestinians had to face. For anyone interested in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, this book is a must read!

I found The Olive Grove to be exceedingly one dimensional. It was clearly pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli. A broader view of history would have been welcome. Moreover, many of the characters were one dimensional, either rotten to the core or all goodness and bravery. More subtlety would have enhanced believability of the story. Still, I did enjoy reading the book, as it did offer a perspective we don't often see in the West.