The Tears of Olive Trees Hardcover – August 1, 2015

The Tears of Olive Trees is the autobiographical novel that details Dr. AbdulKarim S. Al Makadmas life. What makes this mans life particularly extraordinary is that he lived in a refugee camp during the ethnic cleansing called Nakba. Years later he leaves the comforts of his home and travels to a remote region of the world to help at another refugee camp. Karim holds no punches in exploring the desolation and suffering of the people in these regions. His very first patient at the clinic is a young boy he can do nothing for, and resources and support are so scarce that the only thing he can give the mother for comfort is a chocolate bar.After setting up this scenario, the book moves back in time to show how Karim lived through persecution and life as a refugee when he was younger. Against all off he eventually went to medical school and became a widely respected pediatrician. I had never heard of this man before, although I am familiar with current events to know of the tensions and violence between Palestinians and Israelites.The book is written in an informal/conversational way. Its written in third-person, following Karim's POV. The writing does not use many flourishes and tend to be straight to the point, although the descriptions are quite engaging and paint a lifelike picture.There were some typos that would be easy to wipe out with another editing round. Overall I find the strengths of the novel to outweigh its weaknesses.Poetry from Mamoud Darwish begins each chapter, giving a reflection of the themes of the novel. In the end Karim's beliefs are that people should spend their time working together to pull everyone up instead of stealing resources and lives. Its a beautiful message buried in a book that is sometimes hard to read from how brutal things are. I also feel like I value my own comforts more after reading the descriptions of the camps.

Dr. Al Makadma is now a well-known humanitarian and pediatrician, but the ghosts of his past did not let him keep silence.Born and raised in Al Shati the refugee camp in Gaza, in an exiled family whose house and lands were stolen by the Zionists in 1948, he spent 50 years as a refugee under a permanent military supervision and oppression. He comes up with a beautifully written non-fiction memoir that lits a light on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on one side, and poverty, struggle, oppression and heroism of those civilians who happen to victims of the regime on the other side.A horrifying story told graciously, "The Tears of Olive Trees" uses the strongest and the most powerful tool for finding truth and peace in a world full of war, discrimination and injustice: a word. A word that spreads awareness, decency, spirit and courage, soothes and comforts us, gives us hope for a brighter future.Dr. Al Makadma, who survived two wars and spent decades as an exile, certainly knows how to put it all together and inspire people who suffer from injustice and oppression – both political and psychological -- to rise above the terrible, brutal circumstances as it is the only way to survive as a decent human being in the inhumane conditions.Complemented with thoughtful, delicate and honest poems by Mahmoud Darwish, this memoir is an ode to freedom and justice. It is one of those books that are actual for everyone regardless of nation, age or gender: this bell tolls for everyone as a reminder that everything that happens in our world has something to do with us and cannot be ignored or underestimated. I am rating this book 5 out of 5 points. A brilliant and a must read.

I really didn’t consider reading this book until someone suggested I give it a try and I am so glad I did. Just by looking at the cover I would not have picked it up nor did the title entice me but by the end both made perfect sense. The Tears of Olive Trees is the autobiography of Abdulkarim Al Makadma, a Palestinian man who grew up in the Al Shati refugee camp, or as we know it in English, the Beach Camp. He persevered and eventually became a respected doctor and Canadian citizen. His story starts with his father who lived in Palestine before the occupation by Israel. It follows the family through the years, telling of their struggles and triumphs as they try to survive in horrible conditions. The writing is not just dry facts and recitations about parts of history nor is it full of complaining as many would in this situation. Instead, it is touching, spiritual and, many times, heart breaking. Before reading this I asked someone who is the “bad guy” in the troubles between the Palestinians and Israel and I was told it was Palestine. As the author states, this is a belief many Westerners have, so hopefully this book will help people to see the other side of the story. I try to never take being a Canadian citizen for granted and this book made me realize even more how very lucky I am. I read this book on my ereader and it formatted to digital form well. It truly made me look at things differently.

Dr AbdulKarim A Makadma is adding an extra value of reflecting on the famous poet of Mahmoud Darwish. He is using simple language and reflecting on his family experience. The book is an easy to read book with personalized photos of Dr Almakadma and his family members .Dr Almakadma had the advantage of his scholarly work and his various medical papers published in highly reputable journals, and his ability to express himself in literature made it clear that it is a unique piece of work that reflects the sufferings of not only Abdulkarim's family, but millions of people .I highly recommend this book for people who want to learn about middle eastern and parts of their sufferings that one book will never be enough to make you live the 100% of the picture.

OK, this is a story written in the form of an autobiography. It is actually based on a real story making the events and story line quite impressive.It manages to discuss various topics, historic eras in a simple yet not simplified fashion. It is rich. Very rich in fact, I started to read it again! I look forward to more from the author.

It really helped my understanding of the Palestinian conflict with Israel, to see it from a Palestinian's eyes and experience.