The Words of My Father

‘[A] remarkable new memoir … full of youthful exuberance, unlikely adventures, and raw discovery … captivating.’
The New Yorker

‘To experience love and humanity on many levels, read this story. Beautifully told by a young man whose voice deserves to be heard — even if the world is not yet ready to listen.’
Diana Darke, author of My House in Damascus: An Inside View of the Syrian Crisis

‘A work of profound spiritual beauty, one of the great memoirs to emerge from this terrible conflict… The Words of My Father offers all of us hope that this seemingly intractable conflict can find a solution that is just to both sides.’
Yossi Klein Halevi, author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbour

‘Yousef Bashir’s memoir is a moving reminder of the normality of Palestinian aspirations in what has been an abnormal situation for far too long. This book is a remarkable testimony to overcoming hatred and fear.’
Ian Black, author of Enemies and Neighbours: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel, 1917-2017

‘[An] eloquent and affecting memoir … An inspiration to peace activists in all theatres of war and struggle and a book that deserves a wide audience.’
Kirkus Reviews 

In the Gaza Strip, growing up on land owned by his family for centuries, fourteen-year-old Yousef is preoccupied by video games, school pranks, and meeting his father’s impossibly high standards.

Everything changes when the Second Intifada erupts and soldiers occupy the family home, turning it into a virtual prison. Overtime, Yousef learns the rules of his new life in captivity – but he can’t anticipate that an Israeli bullet is about to transform his future in an instant.

YOUSEF BASHIR is a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip, the son of a respected educator. After moving to the USA he earned a BA in International Affairs from Northeastern University and an MA in Co-existence and Conflict from Brandeis University. Now living in Washington DC, Bashir is a public speaker, author, and a peace advocate. He previously worked for the Palestinian Diplomatic Delegation to the United States.

Visit Yousef’s website here.

Find Yousef on Twitter @Yousefksb

Watch Yousef’s interview with Yossi Klein Halvei here.