Land of the Turtle: Liana Badr's Orwellian account of 2048 Palestine

Mountain acrobats

In this fictional world, salvation is only found in the mountains.

Inhabitants master the art of leaping across plateaus and distant peaks, much like "the rubber man, who first emerged in a small community facing looming perils, known as the Palestinians."

A genetic mutation produces a lineage of "high-wall acrobats", which is necessary in the midst of towering walls, built by colonisers to separate villages, cities, and families.

Meanwhile, sea folk navigate life on top of floating vessels, honing their ability to live underwater in order "to safeguard forthcoming generations from the stern destiny that befell their ancestors."

In the oppressor state, many have made it their mission to "defend their superiority over those impoverished and confined behind walls".

They inscribe slogans on the remaining dilapidated roads, collapsed bridges and colossal structures teetering on the brink of collapse due to the violence of the flood.

Some slogans include: "We no longer have a partner in peace," "The land and skies belong to us alone," "Your decision is ours," and "We will remain God's chosen people in spite of you."

The narrator gives us a deeper glimpse into the world at large: "After much of the Earth's population drowned, racial diversity vanished, and instead there was a single human race, the 'survival enthusiasts', which had varied looks and skin colours. This was preceded by the declaration of the United Nations, which became a strictly digital entity existing solely on smart devices."

This broader world-building isn't off-topic or a distraction. Instead, it's part of a bigger picture, offering a sort of story within a story.

The narrative primarily revolves around the protagonist's return to her homeland 26 years after 1967, prompted by the Oslo Agreement, and after many an exile and war.

The narrator takes us through these interconnected timelines, starting with the moment she crosses a bridge to find the boxes where she had buried her belongings, leading to the towns where she spent her childhood.

She remembers her brother, a renowned poet, who prohibited her from going outside for two decades after she received a rose from her schoolmate.

She observes the occupation state's refusal to withdraw from various locations and large anti-settlement marches, and she unearths the map of a new city, where arrests are frequent and human relationships happen behind prison bars.

She understands, then, that the place has been stripped of everything, "its lands plundered, its sea violated, and its people diverted from their agriculture and farming to toil in the service of their colonisers in search of a livelihood."

Under military laws, locals are prohibited from gathering, except at weddings or funerals. Arabic books are no longer allowed, leading to the closure of libraries, cinemas, and theatres.

Some religious extremists stand against art festivals, too, believing them to be sources of sin and immorality.

Palestinian panorama

The narrator embarks on an immersive journey through Ramallah, Nablus, Jerusalem, and Haifa, exploring the beauty of the place, of Palestine, in its old trees and houses, its embroidered dresses, its dances and tales and melodies.

But the narrator also unravels the profound shifts shaped by occupation.

Existential questions about the right to life emerge within the daily ebb and flow of things: people's challenge to move freely, work, travel, and even create love lives.

Despite a diverse narrative style, the novel's overall language is rich with condensed poetic nuances, even as it describes the reality of barriers, sieges, arrests, and the poignant theme of death—especially the deaths of children who confront the occupier with stones, having had enough of its discriminatory laws and oppressive military.

Author Badr, who also wrote Stars of Jericho and The Eye of the Mirror, continues to reimagine Palestine in this novel published by Dar Al Ahlia in Amman, echoing the approach of all her previous novels, short stories, and journalistic works.

Hailing from a generation seemingly absorbed by Palestine and Palestine alone, Badr's latest novel serves as another exploration of its cause and depths.