Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood

Part 1

Reading Check

1. 1981 (Part 1)

2. Ramallah (Part 1)

3. Mail from international pen pals (Part 1)

Short Answer

1. Ibtisam begins her memoir with a poem that underscores the idea that poetry and words are very important to her. Ibtisam’s free-verse poem involves a caged bird, thus also introducing the symbol of a bird and its relationship to notions of freedom/capture. (Part 1)

2. Part 1 is titled this because it highlights the importance of writing as a kind of “letter”—the memoir is both a letter to the reader and to Ibtisam herself, as she works through the traumatic experiences she endured in Israeli-occupied Palestine. (Part 1)

Part 2, Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. The Jordan River (Part 2, Chapter 2)

2. A donkey (Part 2, Chapter 3)

3. Hamameh’s kitchen (Part 2, Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Ibtisam is just three and a half years old when news of the war reaches the family. Ibtisam’s older brothers play outside the family home; Ibtisam’s mother is making dinner and caring for her infant sister. Ibtisam’s father comes home from work, and delivers news to the family, disrupting an otherwise peaceful scene. (Part 2, Chapter 1)

2. Basbooseh is a kind of pastry, made of semolina cakes soaked in syrup. Ibtisam and her brothers are hungry, so when the man pushing the cart of basbooseh is distracted, Ibtisam and her brothers steal the tray of pastries and eat the entire tray. The pastry man eventually finds the children. He is furious and demands that Ibtisam’s mother pay him for the sweets that her children have eaten. (Part 2, Chapter 6)

Part 2, Chapters 7-11

Reading Check

1. Working as a truck driver, helping rebuild war-damaged roads (Part 2, Chapter 7)

2. It is combat practice, performed by Israeli soldiers (Part 2, Chapter 8)

3. The children collect empty bullet casings and even a Sten gun (Part 2, Chapter 10)

Short Answer

1. He builds a wall in front of their window, creating a somewhat protected outdoor space. He also adds a grapevine and plants a garden, making the place feel lush and home-like. Father also buys the family a pregnant goat. (Part 2, Chapter 9)

2. Ibtisam sees how “sacred” school and learning are to her mother, and she knows how her mother’s dream of higher education was crushed when they could no longer afford school fees. Her mother craves knowledge, and when her mother finally uses her expanded knowledge of sewing to create a successful sewing business, Ibtisam understands that knowledge can lead to self-sustainability, which can lead to freedom. (Part 2, Chapters 7-11)

Part 2, Chapters 12-14

Reading Check

1. Bathing in the Dead Sea (Part 2, Chapter 12)

2. The prophet Abraham (Part 2, Chapter 13)

3.   A traditional ceremonial meal (Part 2, Chapter 14)

Short Answer

1. Ibtisam watches her brothers begin their formal education, leaving her behind; she also witnesses the slaughter of her beloved goat Zuraiq. These losses add to the tragedy of Ibtisam’s childhood, in which she is forced to grow up prematurely due to the hardships in her life. (Part 2, Chapters 12-14)

2. The circumcision ceremony and the family’s visit to their home village both show how Palestinian tradition is, in many ways, tied to a sense of place. War disrupts culture and traditions for many reasons, but because it destroys a sense of “home.” (Part 2, Chapters 12-14)

Part 2, Chapters 15-18 and Part 3

Reading Check

1. A giraffe (Part 2, Chapter 15)

2. Milk (Part 2, Chapter 16)

3. The Jalazone Camp (Part 2, Chapter 17)

Short Answer

1. Jamal Abdel was pro-Arab and pro-Palestinian; he was working to end the conflict between Jordan and Palestinian feyadeen or “freedom fighters.” Without Abdel’s political support, the fate of Palestine becomes even less clear. (Part 2, Chapter 18)

2. The Philo of Alexandria quote is “be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” Ibtisam elects to end her story with a call to compassion; in the face of such great suffering, thanks to an extremely complex war, it is essential to remember basic human kindness (Part 3)