These Olive Trees
Written and illustrated by Aya Ghanameh
Viking, 2023, 32 pp (unpaged)
ISBN: 9780593525180

How does one begin to speak about the unspeakable? These Olive Trees, written and illustrated by Aya Ghanameh, tells a deeply personal and emotional story based on Ghanameh’s grandmother’s life as a Palestinian refugee. Aya could not have known, when she began the process of retelling this portion of her grandmother’s life story, how it would take on new significance in light of current events. Aya’s grandmother, Oraib, was born in a refugee camp after her parents fled from the village of Al-Tira, Haifa during the 1948 war. This story begins in 1967 as Oraib and her family must flee once again, leaving the refugee camp in Nablus, Palestine.

The title, These Olive Trees, is the metanarrative of this story. In the author’s notes, Aya explains that the olive tree symbolizes the resistance, longevity, and resilience of the Palestinian people. As the story begins, her grandmother, Oraib, contemplates the wonders of the fruit of the olive tree as she watches her mother prune the trees. She thinks of the bitterness of the olive when first harvested and how the process of growing and curing the fruit takes great patience. Oraib helps her mother gather the olives and wonders why they are harvesting the fruit so soon. This is when she learns that the family must leave before war comes again to them. Oraib is determined to plant the seed of an olive tree and return for its fruit one day.

The metaphor of the olive tree is seen throughout the visual images of the picturebook. Olive trees and olives appear on nearly every page. The olive trees surround the tent homes in the refugee camp. The resources provided by the fruit of the olive tree are showcased both through text and images. War is signified in the illustrations by transparent arms and hands reaching out from the distant horizon to remove the olive trees. However, even as the arms of war appear to remove the olive trees, the recognition of the seeds buried beneath the ground provides hope.

These Olive Trees is far more than a picturebook about a refugee experience. It provides a distinct look into the resilience and culture of the Palestinian people. The endpapers that frame the story are decorated with the distinctive tatreez embroidery patterns of the Palestinian people, which provide a strong sense of connection to a living culture. The story does not focus on the devasting impact of the war, but rather on the strength of family and tradition that will not be denied. While there is a deep sense of sadness in the displacement of this family, the reader is left with a sense of their great strength and determination to maintain their culture and sense of identity. As Strekolova-Hughes and Peterman (2020) point out, “culturally authentic picturebooks invite multiple stories, highlight the complex humanity of their protagonists, and narratively center the protagonist’s power and agency” (p. 326).

The author’s note at the end of the picturebook provides photos of Aya’s grandmother and her family. The notes describe the exodus in 1948 referred to by the Palestinians as the Nakba which translates to the Catastrophe. Aya also provides information on the importance of olive trees to the Palestinians and ends with “Like these olive trees, we are still here.”

Other books would pair well with These Olive Trees, providing additional background and affirming the cultural identities of refugees. What is a Refugee? written and illustrated by Elise Gavel (2019) provides background information on why refugees must flee their homeland. This picturebook affirms that refugees are individuals just like each one of us. The Map of Good Memories written by Fran Nuño and illustrated by Zuzanna Celej (2016) provides perspective on the importance of place and the difficulty of leaving home as well as the hope of returning one day. You Don’t Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine (2022) provides another account of great resilience and a strong sense of identity through the personal diary of Yeva Skalietska, a refugee from Ukraine.

Aya Ghanameh is a Palestinian illustrator, author, and designer from Amman Jordan. She currently resides in New York City. These Olive Trees is her debut picturebook. Her latest illustrated publication is the picturebook Dear Muslim Child written by Rahma Rodaah (2024).

Reference

Streklova-Hughes, E. & Peterman, N. (2020). Countering dominant discourses and reaffirming cultural identities of learners from refugee backgrounds. The Reading Teacher. 74(3). 325-329. doi:10.1002/trtr.1944

Cynthia Ryman, California State University Monterey Bay

© 2024 by Cynthia Ryman