Book Reviews 

Three Mothers, Three Daughters: 

Palestinian Women's Stories 

Michael Gorkin and Rafiqa Othman 
New York: Other Press; 2000. 244 pages. 

113 

In Three Mothers; Three Daughters: Palestinian Women's Stories, Rafiqa 

Othman and Michael Gorkin present six remarkable life narratives from 
Palestinian women living in the Occupied Territories and Israel. By select­

ing three mother/daughter pairs from very different social and political cir­

cumstances, they represent, in dramatic microcosm, many elements of the 
twentieth-century Palestinian experience. Moreover, these stories have a 
stunning universal appeal, transcending their specific national context by 
revealing complicated issues of gender and generational relations familiar 

throughout the world. In this way, Gorkin and Othman have crafted an oral 
history that is both specific to - and transcendent of - Palestine. 

From the outset of their collaboration, Gorkin and Othman wrestled 
with their complex personal positions and relationship, and used their pref­

ace and epilogue to frame their study in these terms. Gorkin is an American 
Jew living in Israel; Othman is a Palestinian Muslim from Abu Ghosh, the 

only Arab village on the Israeli side of the Green Line in the Jerusalem area 
to survive the 1948-49 war. Their collaboration was not only controversial 

because one is a Jew and the other an Arab, but also because being an 
unmarried woman, Othman confronted the issue of 'ayb (shame) falling 

upon her family if society misjudged her association with her male collalr 
orator. Moreover, several of the project's six informants would not speak 

with Gorkin because he is a man. 
Thus, Othman juggled a difficult problem that often faces scholars con­

ducting anthropological research within their societies: a complicated status 
as both an insider and an outsider. It is to her credit that she deals directly 
with this issue. Othman points out her position as a confidante at times, and 

does not hesitate to draw on a common sense of "sisterhood" to relate to 

women's struggles. However, as an Arab living inside Israel, her ability to 

understand the experiences of Palestinians living under the occupation is dif­
ficult and painful. She reminds the reader that Palestinian experiences are as 
diverse as any others, and that at times she is as much a political outsider as 

Gorkin. 

The three mother/daughter pairs come from a relatively small territo­
rial radius. However, the historical events and the borders emerging from 





Book Reviews 115 

is most important in their lives. That they all chose to express opinions on 
this topic speaks louder than Othman's restrained commentary on it. 

Three Mothers, Three Daughters is remarkable. It is an excellent source 

that documents the often-ignored life experiences of Palestinian women who 
have witnessed tremendously difficult personal and national events. It is also 

a fine example of how life stories introduce complex questions of identity 

and perspective into larger national histories. In telling their lives, these 

women bring up issues of nationalist struggle, war history, relations between 
the sexes, and intergenerational conflicts and alliances. As part of the 

Cultural Studies Series, this book comes with an excellent introduction by 

series editor Samir Dayal, a useful map pointing out the locations discussed 

in the book, a concise chronology of events in the Israeli-Palestinian con­
flict, and a solid glossary of terms. Whether used as a text for undergradu­

ates, an example of solid oral history, a resource for Palestinian history, or 

an engaging read for the general public, Three Mothers, Three Daughters 

makes a lasting impression and a timely contribution. 

Nancy L. Stockdale 

Department of History, Uaiversity of Central Florida 

Orlando, Florida 

The volume under review moves the rewriting a step further by 

attempting to take a fresh look at the Arab states' and the Palestinians' 

involvement in the development of the 1948 war. The editors suggest that