Trees for the Absentees - by Ahlam Bsharat (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Philistia is an ordinary university student with an extraordinary life. She has no idea when her father will be released from prison, and works part-time washing women's bodies in the ancient Ottoman hammam in Nablus. A midwife and corpse washer in her time, Philistia can't help but reminisce about her late Grandma Zahia, who taught her the ritual ablutions and the secrets of life and death.

In the enthralling darkness of the hamman in occupied Palestine, Philistia falls in love and embarks on a magical journey through her country's history, one of loss and centuries of oppression. As trees are uprooted around her, Philistia searches for a place of refuge, a place where she can plant a memory for the ones she's lost.

Also available in an Arabic language paperback edition.

Review Quotes

"Trees for the Absentees is a small and simple book, but its story has greater complexities if we wish to find them, and is a thought-provoking read for adults and children alike."--Translating Women

"The translation by Sue Copeland and Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp is accessible, with touches of the original Arabic that help really ground the story in its West Bank setting."--Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

About the Author

Ahlam Bsharat grew up in Tammun in Palestine and now lives in Ramallah. Following a master's degree in Arabic, she worked as a teacher for several years. An award-winning author of poetry, picture books, short stories, novels, memoirs, and TV and radio scripts, she also works for the Ministry of Culture in Ramallah. Her literary craft has taken her to Belgium and France, where she was an artist in residence. Her book, Code Name: Butterfly, was shortlisted for the 2017 Palestine Book Award.