‘When the Ottoman Empire imploded, at the end of World War I, the sisters Wardeh and Jamileh, in the city of Nazareth, continued to raise chickens.  World War II exploded and they started to grow flowers to sell to the monks.  The State of Israel was born in 1948, and the Bedouin barter of eggs for yogurt was in full swing, another bet by the smart sisters.  The Anglo-Palestinian tale Naim Attallah says little about the disputes between Israel and Palestine, but a lot about two women who, with perseverance, have kept themselves safe from the course of history.’

Above is an English translation of Veja’s review of the Portuguese edition of The Old Ladies of Nazareth by our chairman Naim Attallah, published by Matrix. You can read the review here and get your copy of the book in Portuguese here today or in English here.