Books from Palestine

A young Palestinian man leaves home to study in France, believing the world is full of possibilities. But as war reshapes Europe and colonial rule transforms his homeland, Midhat Kamal discovers that belonging is far more complicated than he imagined. Beginning in 1914, this sweeping historical novel follows Midhat from the salons of Montpellier and Paris to Nablus, where British rule and rising nationalist movements challenge everything he thought he knew. Torn between cultures, romantic ideals, and conflicting loyalties, he must find his place in a world on the brink of transformation. Rich in historical detail and intimate human drama, The Parisian explores how personal lives become entangled with the making of nations—and how the past continues to shape the present.

Set in the twelfth century, The Book of Saladin reimagines the life of Salah al-Din, better known as Saladin, the Kurdish Muslim ruler who united Egypt and Syria and recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187. The novel takes the form of Saladin’s fictional memoir, dictated to Ibn Yakub, a Jewish scribe tasked with recording the Sultan’s life and achievements. To create a fuller portrait of his subject, Ibn Yakub interviews Saladin’s wives, servants, and companions, revealing the private relationships and personal ambitions behind the public image of a celebrated military leader. As Saladin rises to power and prepares to reclaim Jerusalem, the narrative explores the political rivalries, religious tensions, and fragile alliances that shape his world. Alongside military campaigns and diplomatic intrigue, the novel delves into the intimate lives of the royal household, including a passionate relationship between Saladin’s favoured wife, Jamila, and another woman in the harem, Halima. Ali presents a complex portrait of medieval Muslim society, challenging simplified accounts of the Crusades and exploring the contradictions between political ideals and personal desires. Questions of faith, power, loyalty, sexuality, and cultural coexistence run throughout the story, connecting the struggles of the medieval world with conflicts that continue to resonate today.