Abraham's Children

Heather Shroud introduces us to a whole host of characters in her novel Abraham's Children. We first meet the affected young Fida as she embarks on a trip to Palestine. With her Palestinian father absent from her life, her roots have been shrouded in mystery and, after her mother's death, she decides to leave the comfort of London to go to the West Bank, and eventually on to Gaza confronting many personal battles on her journey.

As we follow Fida, we are introduced to the steadfast Uncle Kamel, spirited Kal, strong willed Leila, the pure Faris, alongside many other tenderly constructed characters. We follow their personal journeys, sharing their joy and pain, and become acquainted with many of the struggles Palestinians face on a daily basis.

Through the frame of family life, fractured and yet also sewn tightly together by the harsh realities they face, we are introduced to child arrest, life in an Israeli prison and the pain of life taken too early. Through other characters in the book we learn about the fragmentation of Palestinian land carved by the Apartheid Wall, settlements and military checkpoints, the daily humiliation they cause and the clashes that ensue as a result. The novel acts as a window through which the reader can view and begin to understand the crucial themes underpinning the essence of the Israeli occupation in a digestible manner.

Ultimately this book is about "Al-Samoud", the Arabic word which symbolises a mix of steadfastness, perseverance and hope. Through its pages we catch a glimpse into how Al-Samoud exists in Palestinian society, something the Palestinian people have been forced to draw on heavily since the Nakba.

I read the book during my commute to work in London shortly after I was forced to leave Palestine. For me it was a trip down memory lane. I felt like I knew these characters and their familiarity meant I could imagine them perfectly in my mind.

One criticism of the novel is that, at times, it feels like the author is trying too hard to cram in every fact and every related issue. Her efforts to ensure the Palestinian struggle is heavily infused throughout all the pages lays testament to her passion, but causes the plot to appear a little contrived. Nonetheless, as it progresses, the reader is swept into the unfolding events and we follow Fida's journey, and the journey of all the characters we have come to admire, with eager anticipation.