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Passage to the Plaza

By Sahar Khalifeh
Series: The Arab List
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3.82 goodreads logo

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in the quarter of Bab Al-Saha in Nablus, Palestine, Passage to the Plaza centres on Nuzha, a young woman ostracised by her community who finds her house transformed into a sanctuary during the 1987 Intifada. Through the eyes of female protagonists—including an injured resistance fighter, a university researcher, and a pious midwife—the novel explores themes of freedom, love, respectability, nationhood, women's rights, and Palestinian identity amidst conflict.
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Format: Hardback
$4699
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel will resonate with readers interested in Middle Eastern history, women's perspectives in conflict, and literary fiction exploring social and political themes.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In Bab Al-Saha, a quarter of Nablus, Palestine, sits a house of ill repute. In it lives Nuzha, a young woman ostracised from and shamed by her community. When the Intifada breaks out, Nuzha’s abode unexpectedly becomes a sanctuary for those in the quarter: Hussam, an injured resistance fighter; Samar, a university researcher exploring the impact of the Intifada on women’s lives; and Sitt Zakia, the pious midwife.

In the furnace of conflict at the heart of the 1987 Intifada, notions of freedom, love, respectability, nationhood, the rights of women, and Palestinian identity—both among the reluctant residents of the house and the inhabitants of the quarter at large—will be melted and re-forged. Vividly recounted through the eyes of its female protagonists, Passage to the Plaza is a groundbreaking story that shatters the myth of a uniform gendered experience of conflict.

Series: The Arab List

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  • Passage to the Plaza
    Passage to the Plaza
    In Bab Al-Saha, a quarter of Nablus, Palestine, sits a house of ill repute. In it lives Nuzha, a young woman ostracised from and shamed by her community. When the Intifada breaks out, Nuzha’s abode unexpectedly becomes a sanctuary for those in the quarter: Hussam, an injured resistance fighter; Samar, a university researcher exploring the impact of the Intifada on...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Middle East Eye notes that Passage to the Plaza stands apart from Sahar Khalifeh's other works, showcasing some of her strongest writing and notable for its timing, published at the height of the Intifada.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780857427700

Publisher: Seagull Books London Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 01 July 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Seagull Books London Ltd

Contributors:

  • Translated by Sawad Hussain

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 2.0mm

Width: 17.0mm

Height: 24.0mm

Weight: 397g

Pages: 224

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Sahar Khalifeh Series: The Arab List

About the Author

Sahar Khalifeh was born in Nablus in 1941 and is one of the most prominent Palestinian writers of our time. She is the author of eleven novels, all of which deal with the situation of the Palestinians under occupation. Sawad Hussain is a translator living in Cambridge.

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