When I came across an egalley of this recently released graphic novel I had to snap it up! It is a memoir/travelogue of a Belgian writer who spent time in Palestine as a volunteer. She spent time not only in Palestine but with Israeli friends as well. In less than 175 pages she manages to capture a small slice of life of both Palestinians and Israelis--life on both side of the wall--very different worlds and very different lives--in some cases lives very precariously lived.
Green Almonds: Letters from Palestine is written by Anaele Hermans and illustrated by her sister, artist Delphine Hermans. The two exchanged letters during Anaele's stay giving a glimpse into her experiences while abroad. Graphic novels, and this one is especially well done, really amaze me. In so few pages you get an entire story. The illustrations are simple yet evocative, done entirely in pencil. I really loved all the cultural bits, which you can see a little of in the choices I made for sharing some of the illustrations. I would love to travel to this region someday. I'm not sure I will ever get the opportunity, but books like these at least get me closer via armchair travel, right?
I'm not able to give the name of the translator sadly as there was no mention of the person in my galley copy. I have read, however, it was originally published in France in 2011 and won an award for best travel diary from Doctors Without Borders. Easily read in a sitting or two, this is one I warmly recommend for anyone interested in the region or for lovers of graphic novels.