Fast Times in Palestine reading and discussion
- When
- Sat Mar 16, 2013
- Where
- Book Passage
- Time
- 1pm
- Tags
- Literary Arts, City Events, Book Stores
Description
Fast Times in Palestine is a coming-of-age memoir about a young Stanford graduate from Oklahoma who stumbled into Palestine on a post-college backpacking trip, became a journalist, and served as the foreign press coordinator for a Palestinian presidential candidate.The book doesn't pontificate about the realities of life under occupation but rather displays them in a gripping narrative full of beauty, suspense, cruelty, star-crossed love, and dark humor. It was named a Top Ten Travel Book of 2013 by Publishers Weekly.
Reviews and excerpts can be found on the book's website: http://www.pamolson.org
"Harrowing, funny, vivid, entertaining and deeply humane, Fast Times in Palestine opens a rare window onto Palestinian life. It's impossible not to be moved on nearly every page."
-- Sandy Tolan, author of The Lemon Tree
"I realize that without knowing it, I have long waited for this book, although I could not have imagined its lyric magic in advance of reading."
-- Richard Falk, professor emeritus of international law at Princeton (full review)
"What makes her story so compelling is that she tells it in an honest and straightforward way, not by relying on hot rhetoric. For anyone who wants to learn the truth about life under Israeli occupation, this book is a superb starting point."
-- Prof. John J. Mearsheimer, co-author of The Israel Lobby
"More than a travelogue or a polemic, the book is a coming-of-age story, as Olson discovers her voice by directly confronting the challenges of living in a state of institutionalized paradox... Engaging and easy to read, this is a fascinating memoir."
-- Publishers Weekly
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