AustLit

'Jamie Tarabay's parents left Lebanon before war broke out in 1975 and watched from afar as their beloved Beirut was torn apart. So it's not surprising they weren't exactly delighted when their 25-year-old daughter decided to throw herself back into the thick of Middle Eastern politics. But Jamie was unafraid - or perhaps just stunningly naive.

'Arriving in Jerusalem in the middle of September 2000, Jamie was unsure what to expect, but excited at the prospect of exploring a vibrant land, rich in history and politics. After all, Clinton was hosting peace talks and soon there would be harmony in the region, right? Not exactly. Within days of arriving Jamie's dreams of wandering ancient, walled cities discussing detente were shattered by gunfire. She found herself thrown into a world of age-old hatreds and modern violence, Israeli settlers and Palestinian refugees, failed negotiations and political point-scoring. All the while becoming increasingly aware that the two peoples facing off across the fences, walls and borders were, in reality, not so different.

'This is a story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as seen through the sometimes fiery, sometimes sad eyes of the people Jamie encountered - the warriors and politicians, suicide bombers and schoolchildren, nightclub owners, housewives and shopkeepers. It is also the deeply moving personal memoir of a young journalist's political awakening, set amidst the carnage of the second intifada, the failed peace talks and the eventual death of Yasser Arafat.' (From book dust jacket).