I Saw Ramallah

This book is about a Palestinian coming to terms with what happens when he is able to return to the land he was driven from. We see the distinction between his idea of Palestine and his encounter with the place and his people. Barghouti's life is upended in every way when he is forced into exile at various moments (from Palestine, from Egypt, constantly forced to move and migrate) - this transforms his relationships to people, to place, even to things. The book shows the ripple effects of Zionism, and it is written by a poet, so we are immersed in these problems in an intense way

It took me a while to get into this book. It's a bit more flowery in the beginning than I generally like. I think something was lost in the translation. But as I got used to the style, I began to like it much more. Also, he seemed to streamline the prose and intersperse poetry later, which was much better. It's an inside look at the emotions of being part of a diaspora.