A young Palestinian girl supports her family by becoming the first ever fisherwoman in Gaza in this uplifting middle grade novel about finding courage in the face of adversity.
Inspired by a true story--perfect for readers of Other Words for Home, A Long Walk to Water, Amina's Voice, and Persepolis.
Against the Tide follows fifteen-year-old Yusra, whose family is changed forever her brother is killed by an Israeli missile, and the collapse of a tunnel between Gaza and Egypt, which leaves her father disabled and unable to support the family.
For a long time, Yusra is forced to beg for handouts from neighbors, but with the encroaching restrictions of an occupied Gaza, Yusra reaches a breaking point. Soon, an idea comes to her: to fix up her father's fishing boat and take up his line of work. She becomes the first and only fisherwoman in Gaza, where she must abide by the rules imposed on their trade.
One day, when Yusra accidentally goes past the designated three-mile zone where she is allowed to fish, she encounters the Israeli navy. Though she feels threatened, she decides to stand up for herself. Based on the true story of a young Palestinian girl named Madleen Kulab, Against the Tide is not only a middle grade story of resilience, but also a lesson on how the courage of one person can transform the world. Includes illustrations by Palestinian artist Aya Ghanemeh.
Autorentext
Taghreed Najjar is a Palestinian-Jordanian author of over 50 books for children and young adults. She has been awarded the Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children's Literature, and was shortlisted three times. She is also the founder of Dar al-Salwa publishing house.
Elisabeth Jaquette is a translator from Arabic. She is the Executive Director of Words Without Borders and former Executive Director of the American Literary Translators Association. Her work has been nominated for the Booker International Prize, National Book Award, Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, TA First Translation Prize, and Best Translated Book Award.
Aya Ghanameh is a Palestinian illustrator, writer, and designer from Amman, Jordan. She is the author/illustrator of the picture book, These Olive Trees (Viking Books, 2023), and the illustrator of Dear Muslim Child by Rahma Roodah (Balzer + Bray, 2024), and Everything Grows in Jiddo's Garden by Jenan A. Matari (Interlink, 2025). Aya graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and works as a designer for a U.S. children's book publisher.