Author(s): Mona Hajjar Halaby

Biographies & Memoirs

''Utterly heart-breaking, absorbing, and tender...will stay with you long after you finish the last page.'' Christy Lefteri, bestselling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

''Refugees are like seeds that scatter in the wind, and land in different soils that become their reluctant homes'' my mother once told me. As a small child, I looked up at my mother and clutched her hand. The puffiness of her palm reminded me of a loaf of warm pita bread, and when she laced her fingers into mine like a pretzel, I felt safe. I would have walked with her to the ends of the earth.

When Mona moved from California to Ramallah to teach conflict resolution in a school for a year, she kept a journal. Within its pages, she wrote her impressions of her homeland, a place she had only experienced through her mother''s memories.

As she settled into her teaching role, getting to know her students and the challenges they faced living in a militarized, occupied town, Mona also embarked on a personal pilgrimage to find her mother''s home in Jerusalem.

Mona had dreamed of being guided by her mother down the old souqs, and the leafy streets of her neighborhood, listening to the muezzin''s call for prayer and the medley of church bells. But after fifty-nine years of exile, it was Mona''s mother who held her daughter''s hand as they visited Jerusalem together, walking the narrow cobblestone alleys of the Old City. Their roles were reversed. Mona had become her Mama''s legs and her memory - and the one to tell her story going forward.

In My Mother''s Footsteps is a moving and heart-rending journey of a daughter discovering her roots and recovering her mother''s beloved past. It''s also an intimate and tender account of daily life for Palestinians as never seen before. For fans of The Bookseller of Kabul and The Beekeeper of Aleppo.


Read what everyone is saying about In My Mother''s Footsteps:

''An utterly heart-breaking, absorbing, and tender account. Mona took me by the hand through the streets of Jerusalem and brought it to life in a way I''ve never seen before. This is such a timely and important story that will stay with you long after you finish the last page.'' Christy Lefteri, bestselling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

''With poignant tenderness, Halaby explores the weight of inherited loss. She navigates the streets of her ancestral homeland with the curiosity of a journalist and the devotion of a Palestinian mother''s daughter. This is an intimately detailed and moving account of what''s lost and found when human beings are displaced.'' Sahar Mustafah, author of The Beauty of Your Face, a 2020 New York Times Notable Book

''Halaby''s homegoing takes us past reductive headlines and into the thorny and rich history of a family shaped, but not hardened, by conflict. Her journey holds space and tender lessons for all.'' Nadia Hashimi, Bestselling author of A House Without Windows

''This is a beautifully written story told with honesty and passion...It will jerk those tears right out of your head...Surely one of the best books of 2021.'' Goodreads reviewer,

''This painfully honest journey into the Palestinian reality is both unique and very familiar. This book humanizes the Palestinians through an accessible and direct style.'' Ilan Pappe, Israeli historian

''A beautifully written, emotional and enlightening true story...A must read.'' Karen King,

''Beautiful. Poignant. Phenomenal...I cried and I smiled...Truly a gem.'' Goodreads reviewer,

''Informative, powerful, moving...Her descriptions of the places she visits in Palestine are exceptionally evocative...I felt transported to the streets of Jerusalem and Ramallah, almost as if I was walking alongside her...an extremely necessary book, narrated in a beautiful prose and which I found very insightful and poignant...If you loved works of fiction such as The Beekeeper of Aleppo or A Thousand Splendid Suns, this memoir will not disappoint.'' Goodreads reviewer,

''What a powerful experience! In My Mother''s Footsteps sustains its energy and freshness all the way through, bringing wonder and surprise, both heart-breaking and joyous, page after page. All a testimony of love. Thank you for inviting us to live your story, Mona. What a thrill to walk the streets of Jerusalem with you and your mother. Sharing this trip to Palestine was a life-changing journey.'' Pam Nicholls

''A beautifully written and intimate portrait of a relationship between a mother and daughter.'' the_suitable_girl,

''Moving, evocative and poignant...a really insightful and touching book as well as an intimate narration of family history and deep-rooted love of Palestine and I learnt a lot from it.'' Resnas_readagram,