Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

I was drawn to Mornings in Jenin when I saw a description on Goodreads because I can't recall reading anything from the Palestinian perspective of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  This novel is about several generations of the Abulheja family, beginning with them being driven from their home on an olive farm  in 1948 to a refugee camp. During this chaos, a baby is stolen from the family by an Israeli soldier.  The story follows their lives as well as that of the stolen child, David. The main character in the story is Amal, who is born in the refugee camp and learns a lot about her family through the stories that they tell. It follows her through 2002 when she returns to the Middle East after raising her daughter in the United States.

I appreciate that the author placed a family tree in the beginning of the book. It made it much easier to get involved in the story before the names became familiar because there are several shifts in time. I also was grateful for the small glossary in the back as I used it many times.  There were shifts in point of view, but I felt that these were done well and filled in the missing pieces of the story as I needed them. I've seen some criticism of the author's style, but it worked well for me.

This wasn't an easy book to read for many reasons. The horrors of the war and the suffering of the refugees is quite intense. It is also unsettling to read about the Palestinian side of the conflict because it isn't something that I've heard much about. It does tend to come across in black and white terms with Israel being "bad". That was tough for me as these Holocaust survivors were being called terrorists. However, I understand that this is a story from the viewpoint of a refugee and they are also entitled to their story.

I really liked Amal's story, and I was touched at how her understanding of her mother unfolded. I also really liked the story of Ari and Hasan's friendship. What Ari reveals at the end of the book was the best part for me. I wish we could have spent more time with Ari.  Overall I was very impressed with this novel and appreciated the history from the Palestinian experience. I think it would have been stronger if it had been a little more balanced, but it was still very good. 4/5

Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings

Last night I finished Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings, and I still don't know how to express how much I loved this book. The story is told by the Kitchen God, Zao Jun, who is challenged by the Jade Emperor to find out what drives the human heart. He follows the lives of Yuying and Jinyi from 1942 until 2000 as they meet through an unconventional arranged marriage prior to the Communist take over and survive the years of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution. The Kitchen God also briefly tells his story as a mortal before he is transformed into a household god due to the events of his death.
Simply put, this is the most moving book that I have read about the culture and history of China. Mythology and folktales are blended beautifully into the story of Yuying and Jinyi. I would recommend this to just about anyone, but readers who enjoy books about China cannot miss this one. I give it a very strong 5/5.