Books From the Arab World Centered Around Care, Resistance & Imagination
In our conversation with Sundus Abdul Hadi, she shared a list of books she picked up at Maktaba, Montreal—works that echo her practice of centering care, resistance, and imagination. From Darwish’s self-eulogy to Iraqi sci-fi, indigenous teachings to her own children’s book Shams, these titles offer pathways into memory, creativity, and reimagining the world we live in.
Books to Read
Perfect Victims
by Mohamad El-Kurd
A contemporary book on Palestine that reframes language around resistance and liberation.
Via Maktaba
Palestinian Walks
by Raja Shehadeh
A memoir through six walks across the hills of Palestine, blending landscape, memory, and politics.
Via Maktaba
Women Who Run With the Wolves
by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Explores myths and stories of the “wild woman” archetype. Seen as a creative and psychological key that unlocks inner voices.
Via Maktaba
Shams
by Sundus Abdul Hadi
A story of trauma and empowerment, blending storytelling and powerful illustrations for kids 7+
Via Maktaba
Take Care of Your Self
by Sundus Abdul Hadi
Reflections on self-care as a community act, depict care as crucial to creating a just society.
Via Maktaba
The Book of Embraces
by Eduardo Galeano
Short, lyrical pieces weaving history, dreams, myths, and daily life, from an indigenous and anti-colonial perspective.
Via Maktaba
In the Presence of Absence
by Mahmoud Darwish
Darwish’s self-eulogy, written near the end of his life—profoundly poetic, full of wisdom and grief.
Via Maktaba
Iraq + 100
by Hassan Blasim
A groundbreaking collection of Iraqi science fiction imagining Iraq a century after the 2003 invasion.
Via Maktaba
The Service Berry
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
An antidote to the broken relationships and misguided goals of our times, and a reminder that “hoarding won’t save us, all flourishing is mutual.”