The Man Who Read Books -- Review

I have been blessed by being able to lead pilgrimages to the Holy Land close to 20 times. I was scheduled to go back in February of 2024, but the tragic events of October 2023 have damaged the willingness of people desiring to go. I had no idea what The Man Who Reads Books was about when my wife suggested I might like it, but I trust her recommendations. To say that I could not put it down would be an understatement. Rachid Benzine has created a masterpiece.

It is the story of Julien Desmanges, a young French journalist who is out taking photographs, while walking in Gaza City he encounters Nabil, an elderly Palestinian and owner of a unique bookshop. The book is Nabil telling his story and the books that made survival possible. He is the son of a Christian father and a Muslim mother, and his life story has been marked by intense suffering, from the loss of their home (homeland) to living in refugee camps, the loss of family even imprisonment.

Despite it all, Nabil teaches Julien (and us) that despite all the hatred and suffering in the world, there still can be hope and even forgiveness.

If you want to glimpse how the Palestinian perspective has developed, I highly recommend this book.