Winter Flowers

Winter Flowers is currently the featured book on this website. I recently read it and was deeply moved. It is the memoir of Jumana Al Dalou-Brown, and tells the story of a Palestinian mother and her American-born daughter. It talks about Christian-Muslim relations, terrorism, but most importantly, it is about life.  Jumana is a very strong woman who overcame severe struggles and hardships. Over the next few weeks I will be posting my thoughts on it as well as some questions relating to different things that the book brings up, one chapter at a time. I would love for you to get in on the discussions and post your own thoughts, comments, and questions. You can purchase it as an e-book on Amazon.com for $3 here: http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Flowers-ebook/dp/B009AX52C4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353033748&sr=1-1&keywords=winter+flowers

Winter Flowers is a compelling, powerful story that transcends religion and instead talks about life at its rawest. I would highly recommend that anybody interested in learning more about the similarities between Christianity and Islam, and/or bringing an end to terrorism read it. It is also for anyone who has ever experienced trials and pain, which should be everyone.

About the author

I grew up in conservative Christian circles in the American South, and majored in theology at an Alabama Southern Baptist college. Without really understanding why, I believed that Muslims were to be avoided at all costs, and we have to unilaterally support Israel. Like many young adults, after college I wasn't sure at all of what I wanted to do with my life, so I traveled to the Middle East for a year and a half. Most of the people I met were descendants of the Palestinian refugees forced out of their homeland in 1948, when Israel was recreated. I fell in love with Arab culture, and realized that on the world scene, Arabs have no voice. Living in the Middle East gave me fresh new eyes to read the Bible, and interacting with Arab Christians, especially Palestinian Christians who live in Jordan, caused me to question all the dogmas regarding Israel with which I had grown up.

Living in the Middle East also gave me the courage I needed to pursue my lifelong dream of being an author. My first book, A Theology of Chaos, will come out this next spring. I plan to use the profits from it to support organizations in the Middle East that are fighting for justice. I have written some short stories as well, which you can find on smashwords.com under my full name, Margaret Elysia McColley.

I now live in New York City, where emergency procedures for a potential terrorist attack are constantly updated, and where the sharp divide between Christians, Muslims, and Jews can be clearly seen on posters in the subways. My goal in life is simple: to end terrorism in my lifetime, by giving a voice to social injustices that compel terrorists to violence.

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