When I like an author/story I tend to binge read, hence I read all four of these this summer. They are hard to fit into a genre, part mystery, part history, part religious philosophy. Omar Yussef, a Palestinian, is a teacher/principal at the UN school for refugees in Bethlehem (yes, that Bethlehem) in the West Bank. He solves mysteries on the side. He tells of the plight of the Arabs of Palestine through a series of stories about his students, colleagues and family. While the Israeli’s don’t come out well, they are not the focus of the book, the focus is on internal Palestinian politics and how it intersects with the everyday lives of the people it is supposed to be serving. The books are first and foremost murder mysteries, but they also serve as a subliminal education on Palestinian culture. My favorite: A Grave in Gaza (for anyone who doesn’t understand the IDF’s priority on blockading bomb-making materials from entry). I suggest one read these books in their written sequence. Don’t be afraid they are heavy essays, they are not, in fact, all four books are as fun as their curmudgeon hero.
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