BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE

By: Gabriella Ambrosio
Location: FIC AMB
Genre: Real stuff that happens but
shouldnt

'the future is what you have today, the past us what you shall live tomorrow'.

I read this book over the holidays. This book is knitted together to weave a story of history, one that just will not go away! It is a good yarn, a compelling read, this book is a school required read in Australia and Italy!
After I read it I felt so flat because it made me feel that in this scenario there never will be any winners, only losers, there never will be any form of peace, just confusion and pain. 
I know in 20 years time this story will be written again, different characters, same venue. 

This story is based on a true event...  it is very real!

Before I Say Goodbye is the story Jerusalem one rainy morning and those who woke up, each ready to go about their daily routines as they do every morning….

Myriam is an 18 year old Isreali Jew who is still in shock after losing her best friend, Michael, to a suicide bomber only two months ago. She is trying to make sense of the world she lives in and on this day she makes a decision – to choose life.

Dima is an 18 year old Palestinian girl who is top of her class and about to get married. She is also disillusion with life and can see no future for her or her people and she makes a decision – to choose death.

Abraham is an Israeli Jew, married with children and works as a security guard. On this morning he recieves his job from the agency – a post in a local supermarket.

Ghassan is a 23 year old Palestinian expolsives expert. Today he is scouting for a place for his latest recruit (an 18 year old girl) to blow up – he chooses a supermarket.

The book starts at 7am that morning and each short chapter follows each of the characters about their daily business, hour by hour, and discovers their thoughts, feelings and experiences of living in Jerusalem. Not a word is wasted; the narrative is clear, concise and striking.
What I particularly like about this book is that it doesn’t take sides. There is no bias, no judgement; just a beautifully written account of one of the saddest and oldest conflicts in the world. It’s an important subject, beautifully executed in a way that makes it accessible to everyone. Politics and history aren’t prevalent but human emotion is.