The Olive Grove by Deborah Rohan: this book is available as a new member gift“Beautifully written… insights behind the Palestinian conflict are gained in reading this heart-wrenching yet endearing tale of one family’s journey” –Polly Bacca, former special assistant to President Bill Clinton.

The Olive Grove is a compassionate account of a Palestinian family's transition from wealth and comfort to statelessness and poverty. Deborah Rohan documents the Moghrabi family's fight for survival, set amidst the political turmoil of the first half of the twentieth century and their struggle against Turkish and British domination and the following Zionist occupation. This deeply moving family saga is a universal depiction of Palestinian life and culture, told without rancor, with a warm and engaging love story at its heart.

The Moghrabis have lived in Palestine for centuries. Near the end of the First World War, Ottoman soldier Kamel Moghrabi is imprisoned by his Turkish masters. Reunited with his family after being freed by British soldiers, he marries his childhood friend Haniya.

But their happiness is short-lived as their homeland is ravaged by violence between the local Arab population and Jewish immigrants fleeing Europe. Any hope of an independent Palestine is shattered and the Moghrabis are forced to flee their home with its cherished olive groves.

Based on a true story, this family saga is a universal depiction of Palestinian life and culture with a warm and engaging love story at its heart.

Author Bio: Deborah Rohan is a frequent speaker and writer on the Palestinian-Israeli situation, and teaches listening and dialogue skills to the victims of conflicts worldwide. She lives in Colorado, USA.