Wild Thorns is about war and revolution. It is about war within the Palestinian community, as well as war between the Palestinian and Israeli communities. The Occupied West Bank is described as a society under assault from the outside and the inside. Yet this society, despite the misfortunes of its citizens, soldiers on. Although the novel is by definition not history, an accurate portrayal of society, even if fictional, can provide real historical insight.

The novel is an ironic and sad recollection of the real life of an Arab rebellious, intelligent and highly talented woman. In the Memoirs we delve into the complexities of Arab traditions and the educational system that nourish the psychological formation of Arab women. The novel raises questions about love, sex, family relations family restrictions and social norms. It is the first feminist novel in Arabic literature; daring, rebellious and highly critical. The style is intimate, sensitive and easy, deep, artistic, a pleasure to read.

Cactus is about war and revolution. Palestine is described as a society under assault from the outside and the inside. It is an accurate portrayal of a society under siege that can provide real historical insight. The text is provocative in both diction and themes. Khalifeh's writing style engages the reader, highlighting multiple senses in various scenes. One of the most compelling components of the text are the various forms of resistance that include spoken, violent resistance, seldom used by Arab women writers. The novel focuses on the story of the Al-Karmi family, in particular that of...

Part II of the historical novel that started with Asslun Wa Fassl. The Palestinians confronting two enemies: the British Mandate and the Zionist movement. Khalifeh brings to the forefront the inner conflicts of the Palestinian society as it struggles to affirm its cultural and national identity, with focus on the fascinating character of the national hero Al Husseini. The novel shifts between the past and the present showing differences and similarities between both.

The story of a man who told us before he departed, as if he knew what will happen to us, that in our fight for winning heaven we lose earth. Because of religion, as it was interpreted and exploited, we went back to our previous state as tribes engulfed by ignorance, pretentions and grudge. It is the story of an extraordinary hero, a frustrated nation, and a generation that inherited a crisis, yet keeps trying. The full story of the great Lebanese fighter and thinker, Anton Sa'adeh

Patrick Kelmer rated it 5 of 5 stars I must say, that this is Sahar Khalifehs best novel. It is set in the occupied West Bank during the 70s, and the sequel to her debut "Wild Thorns" (al-Subbar). It deals with 3 women, everyone of them outsiders in palestinian society: Sadiya, who is a widow, caring for her children, supporting herself while fighting off the bad talk by her neighbours. Khadra, who is a prostitute and who doesnt care about what men think of her after her former husband ran away with the children to Jordan, and then there is Rafeef, who is an independent thinking journalist....

In this powerful novel, Sahar Khalifeh examines the stark realities in the lives of Palestinian Arab women. Through her protagonist, Zeynab, born to an American mother and a Palestinian father, Khalifeh illuminates the disorienting experience of living between two worlds, and the search for identity that mirrors the Palestinians' own quest for nationhood. In her previous novels, Sahar Khalifeh has established herself as the premier feminist Arab novelist; in The Inheritance she breaks new ground in giving voice to Palestinian and Arab women and their economic exile. With its critical...