Miral

At the Amsterdam airport I picked up the novel Miral by Rula Jebreal. I liked that the back said that it was based on a true story and portrays a pretty specular woman who started an orphanage and school in Jerusalem amongst the backdrop of strife between the Jewish and Muslims.

The story was different than I expected because I thought that the entire story would center around the character of Hind, the motivated and influential woman who made the orphanage and school (Dar-El-Teifel)out of nothing. Instead the story has many characters and the plot spans many years. The actual main character, Miral, is an impulsive and outgoing girl and from her eyes we see the protests around the political and religious fighting of that time.

I enjoyed the interesting mix of characters and the author's descriptions of Jerusalem at that time. I particularly enjoyed the good hearted Jamal and of course the level-headed and inspiring Hind. I'm not sure about the validity of the story or the general history that accompanies it but I do feel like I now have some insight into that city and views of a young Muslim girl at that time.

I would recommend giving it a read because any story that gives you look into another culture and time can teach something and open your eyes. Also! it is being made into a movie... so let's see how that goes :)