This was a lovely audiobook experience, similar to the meditative calm of Braiding Sweetgrass. I loved discovering the author's heritage alongside her and seeing her mother's home through her eyes.

This is a book I chose to read/listen to because I am unaware of the actual basis of the issues in Palestine and everything related to that. I originally got myself an ARC of the book but ended up listening to an audiobook of it and only checking out the photos in the ebook. The photos do add perspective to the narrative and therefore might be an added bonus for anyone trying to decide between the different formats.

The author is the daughter of a Christian refugee who fled from Palestine when she was a girl and only returns over the course of the book in her eighties. In spite of this distance, the country is etched into the author’s heart and mind. She even marries a man with similar emotions. The author is very clear about the tone of the narrative and the story she intends to convey. She has written it well and the narrator did a great job in conveying the weight that is carried through the entire course of the book.

The author teaches conflict resolution and uses it at the school level to try and make it easier for the average citizen living in troubled areas to figure out the smaller issues. I found it interesting and all the other methods discussed were illuminating as well.

The issue comes from my own personal bias. It is not an issue per se, but something that changed the way I viewed the book. I come from a country with a colonial past. The very fact that I am only comfortable expressing these thoughts in the language that I am in is a testament to that past (however long ago it might be). People did go into countries sure that their culture was superior and in some cases the only way things should be and then deployed their own changes. They took over lands with a previous history and altered them in several countries around the globe. Some of the histories are unavailable or not universally accepted because people ensured that it was so. This does not reduce my sadness for the lives lost, injustice or family history washed away for all the people mentioned in the book, it just meant that I listened to this just as I had for so many older people and countries.

I thought the author covered a very unique perspective from her family’s side and that of an average citizen of Palestine in the present day. She showed us the privilege of her citizenship and the relative ease it granted her. It opened my eyes to a whole new world, but I also felt that it could have been a shorter narrative. Given that she used very fitting words to convey her meaning, she got the information across quite quickly. After a point, I felt my attention wander and that did not feel appropriate given the seriousness of the content. I would have appreciated the book even more if it had ended sooner than it did. I would still recommend this to people who are curious about the conflict or what it meant for the people on the ground.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This was a highly informative audiobook and from it I gained great depth and understanding of the Palestine conflict. It was refreshing to hear the story from a different point of view and it allowed me see a different perspective to what we hear, see and read on the news. The persecution and injustice was difficult to hear and I felt awful when the narrator talks about the repercussions of the conflict on the children. I however I only enjoyed hearing about Mona’s teaching experience to an extent and was more interested in the rest of the book.

I thought I had a basic understanding of the Palestine situation. I knew nothing. Thank you to the author for teaching me so much. I felt I too was walking in her mother's footsteps.

A beautiful and moving story. I learnt so much about Palestine and the picture painted of the country made it sound so beautiful. I was also really intrigued by Mona's teaching style as well. A really interesting story of identity and belonging and how our roots as humans are important to us. I really recommend reading or listening to this.

This book was just okay. I found it pretty repetitive, at times even thinking the audio player had jumped back to a part I had already listened to. I was irritated by the author's frequent characterizations of Jewish Israelis as "European" and "not from [Palestine]" -- not only does this erase the history of the many Sephardic and Mizrahi Israelis, it ignores the fact that Palestine is the homeland of the Jewish diaspora. This and the bitterness that comes through at every mention of a Jewish person in this book really rubbed me the wrong way. I did, however, enjoy the parts about her work at the school. It was interesting to hear about her approach to conflict resolution and how the kids responded to it.

I think that most people who follow the news must be very aware of the difficult conditions that the Palestinian people live under. It's not easy to know where to start reading about such a complex and emotive issue, but if you are looking for a way to gain some insight into the current situation in Palestine then this memoir, In My Mother's Footsteps, might be a very good place for you to begin. In this book, Mona Hajjar-Halaby, American citizen and daughter of Palestinian refugees, follows two main themes: the first is through her own experiences of working as a teacher in Ramallah and Jerusalem, which shows us much about how Palestinians live under Israeli occupation; and the second is to explore the recollections and stories of her own mother about her life in Palestine before she was forced to flee her homeland during the war of 1948 - and there is plenty of heartbreak to be derived from both sides of the story.

Even though I already had a good idea of what to expect from this book, I still found myself shocked about the reality of life for the Palestinian people. I defy you not to be horrified about the injustice that they experience every day of their lives, and yet there is something so wonderfully compelling about their resilience, their quiet stoicism, their hospitality and their enduring love for their homeland, despite the attempts to subvert their history. In these pages, Mona writes so eloquently about these people and her connection with them, that you cannot fail to be profoundly moved by her words.

For me, it is the parts of the story where she is quite literally walking in the footsteps of her mother that are the most touching, and also the most viscerally powerful. Here, as she visits the significant places from her mother's Palestinian past, we cannot fail to be aware of the true face of war, the plight of refugees, how propaganda can skew reality, and how a fiction can be spun to represent 'alternative facts'. It is in these moments, through the magic of her mother's stories, that Mona really comes to understand her own identity and accept that she is truly Palestinian above all other things - despite what is says in her passport. This part of the story culminates in Mona's mother returning to Jerusalem for an incredibly poignant visit with her daughter, and her mother's bittersweet joy as she visits the places from her past brought tears to my eyes.

There is a lot to take in within this memoir in terms of emotion and historical fact, and I found the best way to appreciate the power of the story was by a combination of written word (via the ebook) and listening to the audio version, narrated with feeling by Lameece Issaq, which allowed me to go over some of the parts again while fully immersing myself in both Mona and her mother's words - and the introduction of the audio book narrated by Mona herself really gets you closer to everything that follows.

I find myself with a lot to reflect on after reading this book. I am grateful to Mona for acknowledging that she and her family come from a position of privilege which many refugees do not enjoy, but I am still struck by the awareness that even though this allowed them freedoms not available to many displaced people their heartbreak remains just as valid.

In a book that is so much about the past, it is easy to think that this is a book about playing the blame game, and in many ways this is true, but Mona's side of the story is very much about the present which balances out the book well and begs the question about what comes next for Palestine. From having heard Mona speak about this memoir, I am aware that she does not consider herself an activist or expert in foreign affairs and as such is unqualified to speculate on how peace can be achieved in Palestine, but I would have liked to have seen a conclusion to the book in which she expresses her personal view on what the future might hold for her spiritual homeland - and perhaps, an acknowledgement that much of the lack of political will to find any real solution has been fostered by her own adopted country. Instead, I was left wondering about how Mona sees the situation playing out, and quite what we can do as bystanders to support the Palestinian people in a meaningful way. However, I will add that if you are interested in these answers to these questions too, then it is worth checking out her fascinating interview with Thread Books to mark the publication of this book, which you can find on their Instagram page @threadbooks. It is really worthwhile listening to what she has to say, and I think you will find her outlook very positive - I know I did.

This is definitely one of those timely books that really should be widely read, and it shines with the love of family and the power of stories passed down generation to generation - these are the things that stand the test of time, enduring through adversity, and it is in these words that Mona has found her own identity and sense of belonging.

In My Mother's Footsteps by Mona Hajjar Halaby Narrated by: Lameece Issaq was a beautifully written book which is a true story and I found this book very emotional so you will need tissues. In my mothers footsteps is an
intimate portrait of a relationship between a mother and daughter, a journey with Mona and her eighty-four year old mother Zakia, tracing their footsteps back to Jerusalem after Zakia’s fifty-nine years of exile and what a journey this was......I am so glad I found time to listen to this audio......However, I did find The narrator Lameece Issaq voice didn't match this book - she did not have the heart and soul whilst reading this. Sorry

But, I do recommend this book not the audio book

Thank you netgalley, Bookouture Audio, Thread Books for giving me this ARC in return for an honest review.

I listened as far as chapter 3 and couldn't continue.
I would like to read this book as the subject interests me. The reason I cannot listen to the end is the strident voice of the narrator.
I understand pronunciation in USA is different to UK but the voice just doesn't work for me even in short segments.

I did learn some new things about Israel and will try to read the book.
Thanks anyway and my apologies.

What a story I still can't believe many of the things that happened to Mona's mother. this is the true story of many of the refugees, many of the wars or political things left them.

One of the things that Mona describes was how terrible is going back to your country only to find out you are not welcome, that the political situation still thriving for the benefit of a few, the Palestinians were robbed from their land little by little until they dint have anymore a place to live now they are fighting to recover was stolen from them.

The brutality of the police, the constant harassment of the government, and the checkpoints it made impossible to enjoy or to even feel like you're home. I felt terrible by many of the things they did to stole Palestinians from their land, this was a very deep and profound book, a book that touches a subject that we all know but still no one wants to talk about.

What I love about the book is the real vision we have now about Jersusalem, about the Palestinians, their story, and the way mona tells us her pilgrimage to find her mother’s home. it was great to see all the places but at the same time sad to know how terrible they were treated in their own land.

The narrations by Lameece Issaq were amazing I really enjoy the way she brought this book to life and the characters too.

Thank you Mona for writing your story, your mom's story, and your ancestry story, this shed so much light

I listened to the audio version of this memoir.
This is the story of a Christian Palestinian woman who returns to her homeland to teach for a year. During her stay there, she rediscovers her mother's home and her own roots. The family also has ties to other countries, but they identify with their Palestinian heritage.
I found this woman's perspective very interesting. I have heard about the conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis throughout my life, most of which is presented as a Muslim vs. Jewish conflict. This author is neither, yet she is Palestinian. Her perspective is different as she is focused on her ethnic heritage. She only briefly mentions religion in this memoir, which I found refreshing. I did not want to read a Muslim vs. Jewish (or vs. Christian) argument. She very effectively puts a personal touch on the situation in this part of the world. As a reader, I felt great compassion for the displaced Palestinian people. I really enjoyed hearing a Palestinian perspective on these issues.
The book was well written. It evoked my emotions and was thought provoking. As an aside, I found her classroom management and behavior modification techniques very interesting. She made a positive effect on the children she worked with during her year teaching in the region.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Personal, illuminating, and sincere! I read this as an ebook and also listened to it as an audiobook and I would highly recommend, Mona describes her time in Palestine beautifully, but there is always a bit of tragedy there because of Israeli occupation. On one hand it is nice to read how excited and full of happiness she is to be there and teach, but on the other it’s sad because her home isn’t her own and she sees the destruction and displacement of her people and culture.

I think this is a good read especially if you’re from a western country like myself and have been fed a lot of propaganda about Israeli/Palestinian conflict!

An education in history and political unrest in Palestine, so poignant and totally unreal to a western person who has lived in relative peace and prosperitey for last 60 years. The story of leaving a home and every possession to flee with your life and through determination start a new life elsewhere. The author follows her mother's journey of starting again whilst remaining positive and forgiving those who drove her from her life. The story explains the journey through the generations and final closure as the authors mother goes back to the places she remembers from the start of her life, her environment, her culture and world. Amazing journey beautifully described and written, moving at times and so wise. The type of book that could be a school book and teach the next generation the impacts of politics on social history. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

I already gave a review for this title. . .in kindle format - NG provided a kindle copy and an audio one . . .for the review, please go to the kindle copy. . . .

The conflict between Israel and Palestine continues…will it ever be resolved? The heavy toll on lives, memories, history, and ties to an occupied homeland goes on. This memoir is the story of Author Mona Hajjar Halaby and her mother’s lives interwoven between two timelines, but executed seamlessly that I as the listener/reader didn’t feel the separation by years. Rather, it felt natural and flowed beautifully. Mona’s mother and family lost their home in Jerusalem when Palestinians were driven from their homes in 1948. The memoir traces her mother’s family exodus to Egypt, where the author was born, only to be uprooted again because of political changes, and resettling in Switzerland. It also focuses on the author’s life growing up outside of Palestine but very much rooted in her homeland and culture, and how living in both worlds shaped her perspective, relationships, and life. Having visited Jerusalem a few times and then living and teaching in Ramallah for a year, the author’s insights and firsthand experience of what it’s like living in a land that by rights is her homeland, but is denied rights to, is devastating and poignant. Beyond the personal story, the author deftly portrays the awkward choreography of the two points of view - between those who occupy the land and those who were driven out - and the impacts the decades-long conflict have on successive generations, especially children, since 1948. This memoir was superbly written and engaging - the descriptions of the house and the orange tree captured so well the nostalgia and childhood memories of her mother. Personal and upfront, this book is a touching tribute to the author’s mother, homeland, and family. What comes through is the close, supportive, and warm ties of this family and the indelible impact their homeland continues to have on them despite not being able to claim it as their own. I very much enjoyed this audiobook and would highly recommended it. Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.

I really loved the audiobook of this! Thanks for the opportunity to listen. I will say it get very dense at times and I’ll recommend a physical copy for most readers but this book is well written and riveting regardless of how much effort it takes to get through some parts.

My thanks to #Netgalley and #Thread publishers for the opportunity of reviewing this audio book..
A heartbreaking story brought to life by a superb narrative. A lesson on modern conflict resolution that begins at an early age sprinkled with historical and cultural content..
On occasions I found the pace very pedestrian but still enjoyable.

Such a beautiful book. I was given the audiobook and it was beautiful. The narrator had a voice which was a bit too know it all for the story being told, I wish the lady who wrote the book had narrated it but that being said, I really enjoyed this story. It had me in tears and is a masterclass in writing.

4.99/5

An incredibly moving memoir that does a great job putting a human face on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Mona's mother was forced to flee Palestine in 1948, living and raising her family in Sweden. When Mona gets an opportunity to return to the country of her mother's birth for a work opportunity, she takes advantage and invites her mother along. Together the two women get to know the country of their roots and bring to light the conditions of everyday Palestinians living under military occupation. Highly recommended for fans of The beekeeper of Aleppo and The bookseller of Kabul. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

I found Mona Haijar Halaby"s position to be extremely pro-Palestinian and, disturbingly, ANTI Israel, to the point that at times I considered DNF"ing this audiobook. But I continued to the end and her position DOES NOT change.