Best Seller
Oranges
By Ahmad Qatato
By Ahmad Qatato
Hardcover
$29.00
Available on Apr 13, 2027 | 256 Pages
A heartfelt graphic memoir that peels back layers of personal history, trauma, and resilience through generations of Palestinian diaspora
In this poignant narrative, acclaimed graphic designer Ahmad Qatato explores three generations of family history: his grandparents who were uprooted from their Palestinian homeland and forced to live as refugees; his parents who grew up influenced by Western media and sought to transcend a refugee mentality; and Ahmad and his friends, the third generation scattered across different countries, striving to reconnect with their heritage and foster their own identities amidst the heightened conflict between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.
Growing up, Ahmad would hear stories of his grandfather’s cherished orange trees in Palestine, evoking a sense of nostalgia and loss for a mythical place of a past that can never be revisited. As Ahmad got older, these childhood tales became colored with new meaning and the fruit came to represent both his family’s protected unity and the segmented lives they have been forced to live. Stunningly illustrated, Oranges is a powerful exploration of identity, memory, and the enduring bonds of family.
In this poignant narrative, acclaimed graphic designer Ahmad Qatato explores three generations of family history: his grandparents who were uprooted from their Palestinian homeland and forced to live as refugees; his parents who grew up influenced by Western media and sought to transcend a refugee mentality; and Ahmad and his friends, the third generation scattered across different countries, striving to reconnect with their heritage and foster their own identities amidst the heightened conflict between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.
Growing up, Ahmad would hear stories of his grandfather’s cherished orange trees in Palestine, evoking a sense of nostalgia and loss for a mythical place of a past that can never be revisited. As Ahmad got older, these childhood tales became colored with new meaning and the fruit came to represent both his family’s protected unity and the segmented lives they have been forced to live. Stunningly illustrated, Oranges is a powerful exploration of identity, memory, and the enduring bonds of family.
Author
Ahmad Qatato
Ahmad Qatato is a queer Jordanian graphic designer and artist of Palestinian descent. Born in Saudi Arabia, he grew up and worked in Jordan before moving to Italy in 2012. Qatato works at Design Group Italia doing brand design and he’s published comics online and in print with a Lebanese comic artist collective SAMANDAL. “Mejida’s Diaries,” his comic strip that chronicled the ordinary lives of three Arab girls, generated media attention from CNN, Radio Monte Carlo, and El Pais.
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