Tasting the Sky A Palestinian Conflict

Barakat, Ibtisam. Tasting the Sky A Palestinian Childhood. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.

Annotation: One minute you are watching your mother feed your baby sister. The next minute you are running for your life from the bulldozers that came to destroy your home, your village, and your way of life.

Justification for Nomination: Tasting the Sky offers a modest introduction to the Israel/Palestine six day war in 1967 through the eyes of a child. The author and narrator, and also the main character Ibiza writes in a first person narrative using a beautiful poetic prose to describe what she sees, smells, tastes, and feels during this traumatic time in her life. She uses flashback and summary to paint a picture of what it was like to grow up in the middle of a war, but she does it in a very unique way. The author writes in her childhood voice to the reader a glimpse of enduring the war and growing up as a refugee in her own homeland. This technique allows the reader to see the conflict through a child’s eye. The author gains the reader’s interest and sympathy by painting a picture of how families and children cope with the realities of war. The author never points a finger or lays blame. She allows her childhood self to convey the horrors and the beauty that she is surrounded by daily. While this would be a challenging read for the young reader, it is an important book to pursue to begin to understand what it is like for other children in other countries fighting for survival. There is a reference library provided in the back of the book for readers to learn more about this conflict. This would be a great classroom book for young adults to explore because it raises awareness about the six day war, opens minds, and offers the opportunity to engage in dialogue.

Genre: Memoir, multicultural, non-fiction, historical fiction