Map for Falasteen

Maysa Odeh is a Palestinian writer who grew up between Amman, Jordan and the United States. A Map for Falasteen was inspired by a conversation with her inner child; it answers the questions she was too shy to ask as a child of Palestinian refugees. Maysa lives in California with her daughter, Malak, who asks questions all day long in Arabic and English, and sometimes even in her sleep.Aliaa Betawi is a self-taught Palestinian artist based in Alexandria, Egypt, who developed her craft by observing her gifted mother. She believes that every youngster deserves a childhood filled with magical, joyful memories, and this is what she works to give to all children, including herself. A Map for Falasteen was her opportunity to capture a memory of Palestine, a memory she could not enjoy as a Palestinian child in exile.

Fills a gap in representations of the Palestinian diaspora, offering a much-needed insider’s perspective … A haunting, powerful, and crucial tale of culture and identity.