PALESTINIAN BLUES

Zanoun’s novel, framed as a fictional memoir, depicts life in Gaza as experienced by the “blockade generation.”

Youssef Qablan, a computer programmer, generally avoids the public discussion of political affairs, but in private, his “second identity” comes to life, in which he loudly and self-assuredly opines on all matters controversial. Unfortunately, one day he forgets himself and harshly criticizes Hamas during a religious service to Abu-Zeyad, an octogenarian Marxist who’s an old friend of the family. Youssef’s flippant remark is overheard by Saeed Hanifia, a “big shot” in the Hamas hierarchy, and Youssef is dragged into a backroom, interrogated, and beaten. The fact that his legal name is Joe Kaplan causes him more problems; his mother’s heavily accented speech was misinterpreted by medical personnel in Michigan, where Youssef was born—a lighter moment in a sometimes darkly funny book by Zanoun. Youssef is released but later summoned to the Interior Ministry; afraid for his life, he flees Gaza for Amman, Jordan, where he works on a “fatwas app” that he seems to believe will ease tensions in the Middle East: “Only machines can issue non-biased and balanced fatwas,” he says. His story is recorded by his aunt, Zooz, a “quiet rebel” who studied philosophy in college and peppers her memoir with thoughtful references to philosophers Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. In Zanoun’s novel, a painfully lucid picture of life in Gaza comes into sharp relief—one that seems all but bereft of hope: “Nothing works as it should—electricity and water come and go. Schools and hospitals are barely functional, and the economy is not only ruined, it is almost destroyed. I don’t know why Gazans still feel compelled to marry, have children, and buy homes.” Zooz’s memoirs are presented by Joe, who annotates them with footnotes—he calls them “Joe Kaplan spots”—which are partially designed to defend himself from criticism and also effectively provide readers with a running commentary. This is a very brief work—just over 100 pages—but it’s one that’s delightfully offbeat and painfully poignant.

A vivid and original novel of the Middle East that’s humorous and insightful.