Cover of Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine, illustrated by Reem Madooh.
By Dena Yousuf ʼ27
Guest Writer
Content warning: this article discusses colonial violence.
Hannah Moushabeck is a Palestinian American writer and book marketer utilizing the power of storytelling to bring awareness to Palestinians who have historically been subjected to violence and forced displacement from their homeland by the Israeli state.
Moushabeck spoke to Mount Holyoke News about her identity, creativity, family, the importance of representation and her debut children’s book, “Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine,” which came out in March 2023. It has received professional accolades, including a starred review in the major publishing company “Shelf Awareness” and a New England Book Award in the picture book category.
“Homeland” is a children's book that follows the journey of three sisters listening to their father recount a free Palestine before the 1948 Nakba. Nakba — meaning ‘Catastrophe’ in Arabic — was the forced and violent expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians from their homes for the creation of the state of Israel following the end of the British colonization of Palestine. The conversation was buoyed by Moushabeck’s passion for writing and advocacy, her bubbly personality and her friendly, approachable demeanor.
Moushabeck shared that her decision to write “Homeland” as a book for children was based on children’s innocence, open-mindedness and natural sense of right versus wrong. “There's something really beautiful about children because they're not weighed down by the systemic bias that a lot of adults have inherited,” Moushabeck said. “So instead of having to unteach them things that they've learned, you can almost plant the seed very early that all humans deserve life and safety and home without having to try to teach adults that.”
The book tells an emotional tale that incorporates humorous anecdotes, rendering the story comprehensible for children and memorable for all. Illustrations by Reem Madooh play a vital role in the book; photo collages of Moushabeck’s real-life relatives in Palestine and the diaspora on the cover of the book introduce a poignant tale that artfully weaves together family, culture, love, loss and hope. Moushabeck noted, “It's a Palestinian story, and it's an ode to the power of storytelling.”
It is the first Palestinian picture book printed by a major publisher since 1994, underscoring the lack of Palestinian and Arab representation in literature.
“My parents immigrated here in the 1970s; they were really appalled by the misrepresentation of Arabs as inherently violent people or not progressive people,” Moushabeck said. “They set out to change the hearts and minds of the American public. And so what they did is they each opened a book-related business. My parents started Interlink Publishing, which is a small independent press that just celebrated its 37th year and is located in Northampton, Massachusetts.”
“Never in all of my 10 years in publishing was I able to work on a book by an Arab American, let alone a Palestinian American. They just weren't being published,” Moushabeck expressed. “And that was so frustrating to me because we're in the news all the time, so people are aware of us, and people are aware of the significance of our culture, but they don't actually know anything other than the violence. I was really upset by this and decided to take it into my own hands.”
Since publishing “Homeland,” Moushabeck has received varied responses. Children find the book funny, while adults — knowing the context of the situation — are saddened. Moushabeck experienced a particularly meaningful interaction at an event when she noticed an elderly man tearing up during her reading. Afterward, he approached her and shared that his former home was portrayed in her book, and remarked that he had not been able to return for the past 50 years.
This moment was especially touching for Moushabeck, who at first could not read the book without crying herself, “There's been a million studies done about how important it is for humans to see themselves represented, whether it's in books or movies or TV or whatever. But to see that play out in real-time is so special. It makes me feel like I'm doing right by my ancestors.”
On the other hand, Moushabeck has faced pushback from Zionists. According to Vox, Zionism is the nationalist political ideology of Israel. It advocates for the establishment and maintenance of a Jewish state with an explicitly Jewish character in historic Palestine, for those identifying with Judaism as their religion or nationality.
Palestinians generally oppose Zionism because it is a colonial movement that affords Jewish people special privileges denied to others, such as citizenship and the right of refugees to return to their homelands.
In protest of the book, according to Moushbeck, one couple went as far as checking out every copy of “Homeland” from every public library in New York and burning each one, claiming it was indoctrinating children to become terrorists. Moushabeck also recounted that coverage in the New York Post, a right-wing newspaper, incited daily death and rape threats from Zionists.
Moushabeck remarked, “It's the same with my friends who are queer and trans [that are] writing about their experiences. Books, especially in this country, are considered weapons by the right.”
“I have heard from folks that parents are requesting my book be removed from schools,” she continued. “Librarians are encouraged not to do book displays about Palestine because it's too controversial. So all of this is coming back to me.”
Moushabeck is a non-practicing Palestinian Christian and offers a unique perspective through this identity. “I mean, Christian Palestinians are often really underrepresented, and that's because it doesn't really fit into the Islamophobic narrative that our media likes to share,” she explained.
“I also feel such a kinship with Muslims, not just Palestinian or Arab Muslims, but with any Muslims. … Mostly because in [the U.S.], if you are perceived as Muslim, then you can also receive Islamophobia.”
Since releasing “Homeland,” Moushabeck has cultivated a group called the Story Sunbirds, a space for Arabs who want to write children's books — “Kidlit” for short. The group has garnered 30 members and has published several books, including “The Book That Almost Rhymed” by Omar Abed, “Shiny Misfits” by Maysoon Zayid,] and “A Map for Falasteen” by Maysa Odeh.
Moushabeck also addressed censorship and repression of Palestinian voices on college campuses, suggesting some avenues for redress and assistance. The author thanked those who have dedicated their efforts and aid to the cause. She also recommended that anyone facing persecution contact Palestine Legal, a nonprofit organization that works to protect those defending Palestinian freedoms as well as to reach out to her directly for support.
“As Americans, we have more power than Palestinians have ever had for the last 75 years … their freedom really lies in our hands,” Moushabeck said. “Until we cease funding the violence against them, there will be no chance of peace. And so I take that responsibility very seriously. And I recognize that I have so much more power than my ancestors did. And if I'm not talking about this with my every waking breath, then I'm complicit.”
As an author, Moushabeck elaborated on the importance of storytelling as a form of advocacy. “I think that storytelling, when it's true, can have the power to show the nuance and diversity of the human existence; but, when it is false, it can be used as an incredibly dangerous weapon,” she said. “And the stories being told right now about Palestine … and their motivations [are] incredibly dangerous, not only for the Palestinians who are being killed in Palestine, but also here in the United States, for people who speak up for Palestine or Palestinian Americans, like we've seen in Burlington, where three Palestinian Americans were shot.”
For further reading, Moushabeck suggested some of the following children’s and young adult books: “We Are Palestinian” by Reem Kassis, “Ida in the Middle” by Nora Lester Murad, the “Farah Rocks” series by Susan Muaddi Darraj and “These Olive Trees” by Aya Ghanameh. A few literary works she recommended for adults include “Love Is an Ex-Country” by Randa Jarrar and any written work by Hala Alyan.
Moushabeck concluded her conversation with Mount Holyoke News with the message, “Children's literature is not just for children.” The writer inscribed a signed copy of “Homeland” for her writer’s newborn cousin with germane and hopeful advice for a newly arrived member of the world: “Tell your story!”