The Haj

A proud Arab family in Palestine struggles to hold on to its identity during the birth of the State of Israel  In the early 1920s, young Ibrahim al Soukori has achieved his dreams of heading his small Palestinian town, becoming a proud father, and making the pilgrimage to Mecca. But his family’s journey has just begun, and soon global war and Israel’s formation force them on a path to possible dissolution. Ibrahim’s sons and daughters squabble and find peace with the nearby kibbutz, suffer betrayals, and hold together even when displaced to distant refugee camps. Written by an author best known for his sympathetic portrayal of Israel’s difficult birth, The Haj speaks to the history of a troubled region from the perspective of a remarkable Arab dynasty.