A Beggar at Damascus Gate

by Yasmine Zahran and Ana Huang

Fiction. Middle Eastern Studies. "Cold and alone in an ancient Palestinian village, a travelling archeologist finds the threads of a narrative that will direct his life for the coming decade. Its... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0942996240
• ISBN13: 9780942996241
• Release Date: April 1995
• Publisher: Post Apollo Press
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A metaphor for Palestine

This is a book of love and loss, of what is and what might have been. An archaeologist finds a personal journal in the closet of a small hotel in Jordan that describes the love affair between a Palestinian woman and an English man. Through the journal entries, the archaeologist tries to piece together their life. His curiosity leads to further inquiries in which he ultimately learns of the complex relationship and tragic destiny of the two lovers. Throughout the narrative, the suffering of the Palestinian people weighs heavily overhead. This is an outstanding book that is, at one level, a tragic love story between two people from different worlds. At another level, however, this narrative describes, in personal and intimate terms, what the Nakba did to the collective psyche of generations of Palestinians. This is a moving and beautiful novel, and I highly recommend it.

Taking a stand for freedom

A Beggar at Damascus Gate is a compilation of journal entries between a Palestinian woman and her British husband. The fact that they are husband and wife is problematic because of the colonization of Palestine by England. We are privy to these writings through the eyes of an archeologist who uncovers them in his hotel room in Petra. He is at first hesitant about reading them because he realizes that the correspondence is a look into the hearts and souls of two people who cannot prevent his intrusion. He overcomes this reluctance and decides to read the journals first because of his curiosity and finally because he wants to publish them. The journals track the lives of the couple over many years and are filled with their private thoughts, implications of murder, conspiracy, spying, and revolutionary activities. Since the archeologist decided what entries to publish, it was hard for me to establish a connection with the couple. It was also evident that the archeologist was fascinated by Ryya, the wife, which at first created a bias for me against her husband. The archeologist also tries to mold Ryya into the traditional role of a woman, but he realizes that she does not fit this mold and is forced to give the reader a picture of the true woman. There is nothing traditional about the lives of the couple and they spend more time apart than together. They travel together and separately throughout their time together and the mission that each is committed to performing is suspected by the other, even though they have no concrete evidence of this fact. To view this novel as merely a love story is to miss the underlying symbolism of the fight for freedom and against oppression by one country over another. Ryya has one true love left in her life, and that is her homeland of Palestine. It was a place of peacefulness, sacredness, and happiness that she is no longer able to enjoy because of her revolutionary stance against the occupation of Palestine by Israel. Alex doesn't understand her feelings about her version of what her homeland is and means to her. His annoyance comes from the fact that he cannot empathize with her because he has never been on the receiving end of oppression. The archeologist spends ten years of his life searching for the couple and comes to believe that he will never find them. The significance of the title is revealed at the end of the novel. This novel was well worth the time because it is also a mystery. We have to put the clues together to realize the full impact of the novel.

Excellent Reading

Having received my copy of this novel as a free promotional copy, I did not expect much in terms of quality. I was therefore pleasantly surprised when I began reading this intriguing novel, and could not put it down until I finished it in a single night! This is spy/love story, enclosed in the historical setting of Palestine in the immediate aftermath of the 1967 war. A beautifully poetic text weaves what turns out to be a highly suspenseful and symbolic novel. Even for people like me who thought they "knew it all" about Palestine, this novel brings with it fresh perspectives that deserve an ear. I was terribly sad when this novel was over. It evoked a lot of memories.If you like this book you would definitely enjoy "Memory of the Flesh," by Ahlam Mustaghanmi.

Powerful - poetic - and Palestinian

A poetic, empowering portrayal of the struggle for liberation -- both personal and political liberation. Excellent characters -- including a realistic and strong Palestinian woman.And, one of the few feminist novels in which the heroine is not obsessed with sexual liberation, but is a full 3-D woman, empowered and motivated by the struggle to liberate her land from military occupation.

One of the best recent Arab-fiction books

A Poetic, Empowering Portrayal of the struggle for liberation -- both personal and political liberation. Excellent characters -- including a realistic and strong Palestinian woman. A must read for those who love literature, and those who want to learn more about the Palestinian struggle