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The Woman from Tantoura: A Novel from Palestine is an Arabic historical fiction novel written by notable Egyptian writer and academic Radwa Ashour, and translated by Kay Heikkinen. Ashour focuses on a real village in Palestine, Tantoura, located on the coast south of Haifa, that witnessed a deadly massacre by Zionist troops in 1948, the year of the Nakba.

It is a deeply moving tale of courage, loss, and survival. The book offers a profound exploration of the Palestinian Nakba and the experiences of those living in the diaspora.

The story unfolds through the eyes of Ruqayya, a 70-year-old woman from Tantoura. The narrative follows the different stages in her life starting from the age of 12 until her 70s.

Ruqayya had a long path of displacement between Syria to Lebanon, and eventually to the Gulf. Throughout the events, Ruqayya stayed resilient and determined as she built a new life whenever she fell, raised children, adopted a child, and welcomed grandchildren later.

Ashour’s writing style is exceptional, as she truly captured the resilience and strength of the Palestinian woman, vividly portraying her indomitable spirit and her unyielding love and connection to their homeland.

Although the characters in the book are fictional, except for some political and historical figures, Ashour incorporates real cities and historical events, including the documented massacres of Tantoura and the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.

You can buy your hard copy from AUC Bookstoresand on Kindle from Amazon.

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