Dear Layla: Welcome to Palestine A Novel

Q: What’s this novel with the long table of contents about anyway? A: It’s about Umm Safi. It’s about epistolary ecstasy. It’s about broken hearts whichever way you look. It’s about Murad saying, “Let’s not waste it.” It’s about the power of a theatrical performance. It’s about olives. It’s about getting a little taste. It’s about el derecho de vivir en paz. It’s about sumud. It’s about satyagraha. It’s about postcards in the era before Tweets. It’s about Walt Whitman saying, “Journeyers over consecutive seasons, over the years, the curious years each emerging from that which preceded it.” It’s about life under military occupation. It’s about life under neurotic preoccupation. It’s about how grades aren’t everything. It’s about letting go, letting go, and letting go. It’s about a certain Spanish word.