“On the morning of April 14, 1948, we became a family of refugees, and together as a family we fled to many places, but never back to Jaffa.”
—Excerpt from My Nakba, by Samir Toubassy
Centering around al-Nakba (the Disaster), as Palestinians call their 1948 displacement from their homeland, Toubassy's engaging memoir explains how al-Nakba impacted his life. Filled with nostalgia for the Jaffa neighborhood of his childhood, My Nakba serves as a love letter to Middle Eastern culture, testifying to the strong bonds between family and the strength of connection forged by tragedy. The novel follows Toubassy's life and his successful careers in nonprofit work and global business, intimately detailing his journey from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia, the UK and finally the US. Toubassy seeks faith and meaning after leaving his homeland. Heartfelt details and sincere love for family, friends and country fill the memoir and give glimpses into the life of a refugee trying to make sense of a world marked by suffering. Recommended for anyone interested in learning more about Palestinian history from individual experiences.
