Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine

· Macmillan + ORM
Ebook
239
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

“Endearing . . . lyrical . . . depicts an adolescence that will be simultaneously familiar to readers . . . and very different in its backdrop of 1970s Palestine.” —School Library Journal

A Junior Library Guild Selection

A Palestine Book Award Shortlist Selection

A VOYA Nonfiction Honor Roll Selection

A Skipping Stones Honor Book

An Arab-American National Museum Honor Book

A Bank Street College of Education Best Book

An American Library Association/Amelia Bloomer Project Top Ten Book

A Notable Book for a Global Society

A News & Observer Newspaper’s Wilde Best Book Award Winner

A Middle East Book Award Honorable Mention

Picking up where her award-winning first memoir, Tasting the Sky left off, Balcony on the Moon follows Ibtisam Barakat through her childhood and adolescence in Palestine from 1972-1981 and chronicles her desire to be a writer. A young Ibtisam finds inspiration through writing letters to pen pals and from an adult who encourages her to keep at it, but the most surprising turn of all for Ibtisam happens when her mother decides that she would like to seek out an education, too. This memoir is a touching, at times funny, and enlightening look at the not often depicted daily life in a politically tumultuous area.

“Lyrical and moving, Barakat’s first-person, present-tense story catapults the reader into a time when political tensions and the battle for human rights rage on, and the fight, not only for survival, but to have a voice is in full swing. Not to be missed, this memoir is a wonderful additional to any library.” —VOYA, starred review

“A compelling personal history, brimming with humor, wisdom, and empathy.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A poetic, deeply felt coming-of-age story.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“As inspiring as it is engrossing.” —Booklist

About the author

Ibtisam Barakat is the author of TASTING THE SKY: A PALESTINIAN CHILDHOOD. She grew up in Palestine and is an educator, poet, and peace activist. She lives in Columbia, Missouri.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.