The Eyes of Gaza

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What to expect

The instant New York Times bestseller

'Please read this joyful, tragic account of life in Gaza' – Miriam Margolyes

'Transforms pain into poetry' – Rupi Kaur

In early October 2023, Palestinian Plestia Alaqad was a recent graduate with dreams of becoming a successful journalist. By the end of November, her social media posts depicting daily life in Gaza, amid Israel's deadly invasion and bombardment, would profoundly move millions of people. She would be internationally known as the 'Eyes of Gaza'.

Written as a series of diary extracts, The Eyes of Gaza relates the horrors of her experiences while showcasing the indomitable spirit of the men, women and children who share her communities. From the epicentre of turmoil, while bombs rain around her and devastation grips her people, she is witness to their emotions, their gentle acts of quiet, necessary heroism, and the moments of unexpected tenderness and vulnerability amid the chaos.

Through the raw honesty and vulnerability of a normal 21-year-old woman trying to make her way through a human tragedy, The Eyes of Gaza is a potent reminder of the horrors of violence and a powerful testament to the human spirit. It recounts a harrowing experience, but it is not a heart-breaking lamentation. Rather, it is a deeply intimate love letter to a girl's home: demolished before her eyes, yes, but forever present in her heart.

'Left me both devastated and inspired' – Macklemore

Critics Review

The raw truth of The Eyes of Gaza hurts. But what's the point of anything if we can't face the truth? Palestinians are just like us; they feel as we feel. Please read this joyful, tragic account of life in Gaza. And celebrate Plestia Alaqad's courage and skill and stop the killing
Miriam Margolyes, bestselling author of This Much Is True
It’s impossible to overstate the power of hearing Palestinian writer Plestia Alaqad narrating her diaries of life under Israeli occupation. Delivering her audiobook in her melodic Arabic accent is a remarkable act of resistance in a war in which journalists are routinely targeted . . . Her steady voice, aged by trauma, dwells not on violence, but on the emotional landscape of Gaza. At its heart, Alaqad’s story preserves Gaza’s memory—it’s a love letter to the city she calls home.
AudioFile
How do you get over a genocide? The question Plestia asks is rhetorical, yet it lingers long after the page is turned, heavy with grief and impossible to answer. Plestia is more than a journalist, she is a witness, a storyteller and an unrelenting seeker of truth. With a camera in one hand and a pen in the other, she has dedicated her life to ensuring the world does not look away. Through her lens, she captures not only the devastation of genocide in Gaza, but also the weight of a lifetime lived under Israeli occupation. Her writing is deeply personal, at times reading like a journal entry or a letter from a friend. She weaves hope and pain so seamlessly that it often hurts to read, each word a testament to both resilience and loss. Plestia’s ink serves as the veins of Gaza, giving life to stories that might otherwise be erased. With striking imagery and intimate detail, her reporting is more than documentation, it is resistance. Her words left me both devastated and inspired - moved by the strength found in community, the unwavering spirit of her people, and the urgent need for collective liberation
Macklemore
The Eyes of Gaza transforms pain into poetry, offering readers an unfiltered glimpse into the depths of loss, hope and survival
Rupi Kaur, bestselling author of Milk and Honey
Written with humor, impossible optimism, faith, and—sometimes—despair, Plestia has given the world an intimate glimpse of life—family, friendship, mutual care, trauma, boredom, hunger, thirst, guilt, and more—in the midst of Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians
Susan Abulhawa, bestselling author of Mornings in Jenin
Plestia Alaqad became our eyes in Gaza and has forever taken a huge piece of our hearts. In this series of diary entries, she welcomes us to live through the genocide again but, this time, with greater intimacy. It reveals a tender and infallible optimism that siege and systematic war have failed to crush. The Eyes of Gaza gives us a glimpse of how the most noble of people not only survived a genocide but are more resolute than ever that their future is freedom and that the future is Palestine
Noura Erakat, author of Justice for Some
During the first months of the war, I was working, sleeping and eating in the Operating Room. Days would pass before I would step outside. Plestia became our messenger from the outside world. Hers is a unique story, a unique journey
Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
An astounding first-hand account of surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive campaigns in recorded history . . . poignant
Irish Times
Powerful . . . an intimate and unflinching testimony and love letter to a homeland under fire
The National

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