Unlike most Palestinian fiction, No One Knows Their Blood Type (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 2024) does not prioritise the Palestinian anti-colonial resistance or portray its protagonists as central to the Palestinian struggle. The reader is introduced to relatable characters with relatable traits, and the promise of enough intrigue to keep reading about this dysfunctional family dynamic that is told through the viewpoint of several narrators but mostly by Jumana, the protagonist in the novel. This is not to say that the Palestinian context is irrelevant – indeed some situations are shaped by absence caused by political obligations. The book is also steeped in the colonial violence and limitations imposed by Israel upon the Palestinian people. However, the author introduces […]
