"Dreaming of Palestine is a work that takes us into the hearts and lives of young people caught up in the Palestinian drive for independence. Writing in a passionate blend of poetry and prose, fifteen-year-old first-time novelist Randa Ghazy creates a convincing portrait of a group of friends who have grown up surrounded by fighting and know no other world than one with war. Ghazy presents a portrait of life in the Middle East that compassionately brings to life the countless stories and pictures we see daily in the news. Ibrahim, Nedal, Ramy, Mohammad, Ahmed, Gilhad, Riham, and Ualid are characters with whom we can identify, even as they are experiencing the unthinkable." "Imagining the day-to-day experience of the Arab-Israeli conflict from a Palestinian perspective, Ghazy presents us with a world in which misery, frustration, and a sense of duty are ever-present, but in which hope continues to exist. Refusing to mince words, the book depicts grim events that are meant to express sentiments and realities of a population that the author believes to be underrepresented; at the same time, it also shows how love, friendship, and dreams can flower in even the worst situations. Boldly depicting a sometimes shocking reality, Dreaming of Palestine underscores the importance of balancing thought with feeling, and loyalty with sympathy, making it clear that in the interest of those people directly involved, we must not forget the necessity of compromise."--BOOK JACKET.