Laila El-Haddad

Laila El-Haddad is a journalist, blogger, and parent who writes passionately about life in the Gaza Strip. This book is a compilation of her blog posts, article excerpts, photos, and interviews from December 2004-August 2010. Each chapter covers a roughly a year and begins with an overview of what happened both politically and personally during that time.

When the book opens, her son Yousuf is nine months old, and much of her blogging is devoted to work-life balance, trying to negotiate border crossings with a baby, and day to day life with a soon-to-be toddler. But interspersed with this are stories about Palestinian children killed by sniper fire while on UN-school grounds, the difficulties of travel in and out of Gaza (even for, or especially for, residents), and corruption. As the book progresses, more and more time is spent on the politics of life in Gaza, including the intifada, infighting between Fateh and Hamas, and the ever draconian measures taken by Israel.

Gaza Mom is a difficult book to read. It's unflinching in describing the impact Israeli occupation and control has on Palestinians, from destroying the economy, razing homes, closing the borders to even humanitarian aid, shutting off electricity and water, to the 2009-2010 outright war the Israeli's called Operation Cast Lead. There are no answers, only questions and growing resentment and anger. The situation is incredibly sad and frustrating. I wish I had read this book when it came out in 2010. It feels a bit dated now, and yet not much has changed on the ground, which is in itself telling.… (meer)