So really, I'm not a non-fiction girl. I'm just not. Some days I wish I could be, but I just love me my fiction. I love stories that take me far away and it always seems a bit harsh to spend my escape time having to read about someone else's reality. But, recently, I have been coming around on the whole non-fiction thing and have finding some great reads. I even voluntarily wander the biography aisles at the book store now. Chalk it up to growth!
You'll also notice a theme--most of them are about situations in the Middle East. Not an intentional theme at all. I have always found the situations of Iraq, Iran, Israel, Palestine, Gaza and the West Bank a little (okay, a lot) daunting because the history is long, the situations complicated and the way forward is unclear. The varying realities of these places are hard to understand and even harder to unpack. For many years, I just ignored them (even though I worked in International Relations). These books have offered great insights into situations that I felt it was easier to ignore. Unintentionally, I have now begun to get a much better grasp on the Middle East. All I've learned, however, is that things are deeply complicated. The authors of the books below each offer his/her own insights and experiences, but there are many stories to hear and many options to weigh. If you figure any of it out, please let me know!
I also noticed another theme...all the books are written from the perspective of the powerless: women in Iran and Palenstinians in Israel. It is worth recognizing that there are many people who would not consider these the voices to listen to. For me, they are a integral part of the story who deserve to be heard.
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
I think this might be the first non-fiction book I stuck with all the way through. Maybe because it was about a girl who loved reading or maybe because Nafisi has a compelling way of telling her story. Using four classic Western novels, she weaves a tale of life for women in the Islamic regime in Iran. Forced out of her work and her life, Nafisi encourages other young women to keep reading and to keep hoping for change.
Some have suggested this book is a bit too academic. That wasn't my experience and I really didn't know anything about Iran. I did, however, know about some of the books she refers to (Pride and Prejudice, Lolita, Daisy Miller, The Great Gatsby). I would suggest reading the classics before reading this book, if you have time and the patience for Henry James and Vladimir Nabokov.
Sometimes I feel like reading fiction might be a waste of time. After all, there are so many great, true stories out there that seem to hold more water than ficticious tales. But Nafisi's book is a reminder that fiction can tell great truths about humanity that are otherwise hard to hear. If we let the books read us, we might get more than we bargained for.
If you like Nafisi, her second book, Things I've Been Silent About is a much more personal look into her life. She has issues with her mother (lots and lots). She also has a lot to say about how we grow and begin to understand those around us. This book might be a better introduction to her person, but as someone who loves reading, I'll stick with Reading Lolita.
Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour
I should admit that this book came to me through work. However, it is one of those books that I took into my heart. I have never come across a more poignant tale of the Israel-Palestine conflict than this story. Chacour's heart and hope shine through every page. As someone who knew even less about Israel than I did about Iran, this book provided a clear and concise history of the relationships between the two nation-states (and the broader world). Although Chacour is Palestinian, his love for his Jewish and Israeli brothers and sisters is so strong that it hardly feels biased (although, inherently, it is). If you are at all interested in this part of the world, read this book. Chacour will make you want to grow a fig tree and change the world all in a few short pages.
I Shall Not Hate by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish
When his daughters are killed by an Israeli bomb, Dr. Abuelaish (a Palestinian) decides not to hate, but to tell his story. To ask for change--specifically for the empowerment of women. This tale of Palestinian-Israeli relations is a bit harder to engage with than Blood Brothers. Still a great read, this book gives you a more day-to-day sense of the depth of the strain and struggle between these two nations. Dr. Abuelaish's heartbreaking story is captivating because he endures when most would give up and he hopes when most would despair.
Likely I'll stick to reading mostly fiction. But these books are almost enough to change my mind!
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