A Rebel in Gaza: A Daughter of Rafah Speaks

Journalist Alghoul pieces together recollections of her childhood in Rafah and the United Arab Emirates, describing the events that led to her becoming a Palestinian journalist. This debut memoir, coauthored with Lebanese journalist Nassib (A Lover in Palestine), is convincingly narrated by Dina Elshinnawi. It traces events from the start of the First Palestinian Intifada through the first Gulf War and Yasser Arafat’s rise to power. During this time, Alghoul speaks out against Fatah and Hamas both in print and online, coming into her own as an activist and an influencer. Because of her beliefs, Alghoul has been arrested, abused by the police, and estranged from relatives who remain committed to Hamas. She also experienced terrible loss when her family members and fellow activists were caught in the ongoing crossfire and killed. She has steadfastly resisted religious fanaticism, particularly for the way that it promotes the denigration of women and restricts women’s access to independence and power.