My Life as a Palestinian from a Place Called Bani Naim

This book is composed of short essays (stories) based on true events that the author experienced since his childhood.  Many people read these poignant essays at the time when they were written and told the author they laughed and cried at the same time.  These short stories reflect the sense of humor of the author as he described painful events.  His journey from the Middle East to the USA was summarized in the story entitled “Go West, Young Man.”  There are funny stories in this book, such as “Neighbors in Bellbrook, Ohio,” “City of Outlaws,” “How a Puerto Rican Policeman Changed My Attitude and Ethics,” and “Clashes of Cultures.”  On the other hand, there are sad stories such as “Go to Your Cousins in the East,” “Memories,” “When I Die, Bury Me in Yageen,” and “the Tragedy of Multiple Sclerosis.”  The author grew up in a very small town in Palestine called Bani Naim. This town was the subject of many of his stories, such as “I Left My Soul in Bani Naim,” “Antiquity of Bani Naim,” and “Lonesome Without You.”  The author left his hometown (Bani Naim) at the age of sixteen, then he went back for a visit after forty-four years later to see the town was transformed into a small-sized city.  In this visit, he wrote the story “Bani Naim Gave Me Back My Soul” to close the cycle of his painful journey.  The author wrote several essays in this book that are related to the brouhaha status of the Middle East.  The stories in this book were randomly listed, since the author believes there are opportunities in chaos.