Fast Times in Palestine - by Pamela J Olson (Paperback)

About the Book

"For much of her life--like many Westerners--most of what Pamela Olson knew of the Middle East was informed by headlines and stereotypes. But when she traveled to Palestine in 2003, she found herself thrown with dizzying speed into the realities of Palestinian life. Fast Times in Palestine is Olson's powerful, deeply moving account of life in Palestine--both the daily events that are universal to us all (house parties, concerts, barbecues, and weddings) as well as the violence, trauma, and political tensions that are particular to the country. From idyllic olive groves to Palestinian beer gardens, from Passover in Tel Aviv to Ramadan in a Hamas village, readers will find Olson's narrative both suspenseful and discerning. Her irresistible story offers a multi-faceted understanding of the Palestinian perspective on the Israel/Palestine conflict, filling a gap in the West's popular understanding of the difficult relationship between the two nations. At turns funny, shocking, and galvanizing, Fast Times in Palestine is a gripping narrative that challenges our ways of thinking--not only about the Middle East, but about human nature, cultural identity, and our place in the world"--

Book Synopsis

For much of her life--like many Westerners--most of what Pamela Olson knew of the Middle East was informed by headlines and stereotypes. But when she traveled to Palestine in 2003, she found herself thrown with dizzying speed into the realities of Palestinian life.

Fast Times in Palestine is Olson's powerful, deeply moving account of life in Palestine-both the daily events that are universal to us all (house parties, concerts, barbecues, and weddings) as well as the violence, trauma, and political tensions that are particular to the country.

From idyllic olive groves to Palestinian beer gardens, from Passover in Tel Aviv to Ramadan in a Hamas village, readers will find Olson's narrative both suspenseful and discerning. Her irresistible story offers a multi-faceted understanding of the Palestinian perspective on the Israel-Palestine conflict, filling a gap in the West's understanding of the difficult relationship between the two nations. At turns funny, shocking, and galvanizing, Fast Times in Palestine is a gripping narrative that challenges our ways of thinking-not only about the Middle East, but about human nature, cultural identity, and our place in the world.

Review Quotes

"Pamela Olson's insightful, sometimes shocking, but always deeply human account of the Palestinian reality should be read by anyone who wants to get beyond the myths and misconceptions around the Palestinian struggle. The effortless narrative is driven by encounters with ordinary, and sometimes extraordinary, people sometimes as confused as the rest of the world about their reality. But Olson is clear in laying out the stark truth of dispossession, oppression, and outright racism imposed on the Palestiniansinsights all too lacking in news reports and political debate."
Chris McGreal, The Guardian
"A moving, inspiring account of life in Palestine that's enormously informative yet reads like a novel!"
Rebecca Vilkomerson, Executive Director of Jewish Voice for Peace
"It's love in the time of occupation as Pamela Olson . . . takes us on the emotional roller-coaster of her very personal experience of life in Ramallah. . . A charming book brimming with tension and tragedy, but also with the humor, warmth, everyday foibles and irrepressible hopes of a people determined to live free."
Tony Karon, senior editor of TIME Magazine
"Part adventure story, part searing reportage, part love story, and wholly absorbing."
Dr. Kenneth Ring, co-author of Letters from Palestine
"Pamela Olson leads the reader on an exciting, funny, at times heart-wrenching journey, carefully deciphering complex political and historical issues. Olson is a talented writer, intelligent and exceptional in her ability to convey both tragedy and hope, remaining morally grounded and refreshingly honest."
Ramzy Baroud, author of My Father was a Freedom Fighter
"As an Israeli whose life was shaped by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I found Fast Times in Palestine moving and refreshing. Pamela Olson comes to the Middle East with a blank slate and is therefore able to hold up an undistorted mirror to the reality she encounters."
Miko Peled, author of The General's Son
"Harrowing, funny, vivid, entertaining and deeply humane, Fast Times in Palestine opens a rare window into Palestinian life. It s impossible not to be moved on nearly every page by Pamela Olson s account of the plight of a stateless people struggling to live with dignity under a mind-boggling 48-year military occupation. Yet Olson also shows us the warmth of a people who, despite their circumstances, display a 'preternatural friendliness and curiosity' in an 'enviable place to call home.' Read this book; it will change everything about the way you see the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians."
Sandy Tolan, author of The Lemon Tree
"This is a story by a very smart and fundamentally decent woman who visits Palestine for the first time knowing little about what she will encounter there. Of course, she learns quickly about the horrors of the Israeli occupation and what it means for the local Palestinians. Fast Times in Palestine is Pamela Olson's attempt to describe the indignities and brutality of Palestinian daily life, and try to make sense of it all. What makes her story so compelling is that she tells it in an honest and straightforward way, not by relying on hot rhetoric. For anyone who wants to learn the truth about life under Israeli occupation, this book is a superb starting point."
John J. Mearsheimer, author of Why Leaders Lie
the strength of the narrative lies in Olson s investigation of the personal and mental effects of oppression and war on herself and her newfound friendsWhere paradox is as common as breathing, Olson discovers a kind of freedom amid the barbed wire. An empathetic, intriguing memoir. Kirkus Reviews
"More than a travelogue or a polemic, the book is a coming-of-age story, as Olson discovers her voice by directly confronting the challenges of living in a state of institutionalized paradox... Engaging and easy to read, this is a fascinating memoir."Publishers Weekly
"An ultimately heartwarming story about an American who learned to love a country and a people despite the trauma of the brutal, decades-old conflict she witnesses occurring around her."Library Journal
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"A moving, inspiring account of life in Palestine that's enormously informative yet reads like a novel!" --Rebecca Vilkomerson, Executive Director of Jewish Voice for Peace

"It's love in the time of occupation as Pamela Olson . . . takes us on the emotional roller-coaster of her very personal experience of life in Ramallah. . . A charming book brimming with tension and tragedy, but also with the humor, warmth, everyday foibles and irrepressible hopes of a people determined to live free." --Tony Karon, senior editor of "TIME Magazine"

"Part adventure story, part searing reportage, part love story, and wholly absorbing." --Dr. Kenneth Ring, co-author of "Letters from Palestine"

"Pamela Olson leads the reader on an exciting, funny, at times heart-wrenching journey, carefully deciphering complex political and historical issues. Olson is a talented writer, intelligent and exceptional in her ability to convey both tragedy and hope, remaining morally grounded and refreshingly honest." --Ramzy Baroud, author of "My Father was a Freedom Fighter"

"As an Israeli whose life was shaped by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I found "Fast Times in Palestine" moving and refreshing. Pamela Olson comes to the Middle East with a blank slate and is therefore able to hold up an undistorted mirror to the reality she encounters." --Miko Peled, author of "The General's Son"


"A moving, inspiring account of life in Palestine that's enormously informative yet reads like a novel!"
-- Rebecca Vilkomerson, Executive Director, Jewish Voice for Peace

"It's love in the time of occupation as Pamela Olson . . . takes us on the emotional roller-coaster of her very personal experience of life in Ramallah. . . A charming book brimming with tension and tragedy, but also with the humor, warmth, everyday foibles and irrepressible hopes of a people determined to live free."
-- Tony Karon, Senior Editor, "TIME Magazine"

"Part adventure story, part searing reportage, part love story, and wholly absorbing."
-- Dr. Kenneth Ring, coauthor of "Letters from Palestine"

"Pamela Olson leads the reader on an exciting, funny, at times heart-wrenching journey, carefully deciphering complex political and historical issues. Olson is a talented writer, intelligent and exceptional in her ability to convey both tragedy and hope, remaining morally grounded and refreshingly honest."
-- Ramzy Baroud, Author, "My Father was a Freedom Fighter"

"As an Israeli whose life was shaped by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I found "Fast Times in Palestine" moving and refreshing. Pamela Olson comes to the Middle East with a blank slate and is therefore able to hold up an undistorted mirror to the reality she encounters."
-- Miko Peled, Author, "The General's Son"

About the Author

Pamela Olson lived in Ramallah for two years, during which she served as head writer and editor for the Palestine Monitor and foreign press coordinator for Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi's 2005 presidential campaign. She's published stories and articles in CounterPunch, Electronic Intifada, Mondoweiss, Israel's Occupation Magazine, and The Stanford Magazine, and she also wrote an essay about disputed holy sites for the Encyclopedia of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. She lives in New York City.