Pamela Olson, a small town girl from eastern Oklahoma, had what she always wanted: a physics degree from Stanford University. But instead of feelin...
read full description
reviews
Dec 13, 2011
Wendy
rated it: 
I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to let it all settle and sink in before I reviewed it and gave it a rating. As you can see, I gave it 5-stars. I probably would have given it 4-stars, but I had the opportunity to discuss the book with the author in an on-line discussion thread and that is definitely worth an additional star :-)
As for the book, it is a moving and compelling story of Pamela's experiences in the West Bank. I felt like I could really relate to More...
As for the book, it is a moving and compelling story of Pamela's experiences in the West Bank. I felt like I could really relate to More...
Jan 26, 2012
Dorothy
rated it: 
One evening I was browsing the Top 100 List of Kindle books on Amazon, and this book was included with the free books in that list. It seemed interesting, so I chose it. My hope was that it would be a travel log of sorts with interesting tales of the people living in the Middle East. It delivered.
The travel log aspects of the book were very interesting. The author does a nice job of describing the sites and scenery. Her stories of the people she met while traveling to see the si More...
The travel log aspects of the book were very interesting. The author does a nice job of describing the sites and scenery. Her stories of the people she met while traveling to see the si More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 25, 2011
Joy
rated it:
I received this book from the GoodReads FirstReads GiveAway. I really enjoyed this book, although it does cover a tough and hard to take topic. Olson tells the story of her time volunteering and working in Palestine, her time in cities and villages, at holy sites, harvesting olives, working on a political campaign, getting through checkpoints, talking with people from all sides. For me it really helped put in perspective how awful the situation there truly is (the book is well footnoted, if y
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 18, 2011
Mira
rated it:
I've been reading Fast Times in Palestine all last month along with Mourid Barghouti's I saw Ramallah, which has been a most beneficial plan, as both books are memoirs mainly revolving around Palestine's social and commercial center: Ramallah. In Barghouti's poetic, hearty depiction of his long-denied hometown, on his first visit after years of cruel estrangement, I could feel the beating heart of the city, the longing, the waiting and that overwhelming feeling the author felt when he was forced
More...
11 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
Dec 05, 2011
Evelyn
rated it:
An extraordinary memoir of the author's time in Palestine, which reads like a part-diary, part-history, part-political, part- travel survival guide. Like many in the West, I've been largely oblivious to the horrors of what goes on in the 'Occupied Territories' and this book tells it like it is, warts and all. To live under such oppression and violence is unimaginable for me, but this book illustrates it quite clearly in a way that anyone can relate and understand to some degree. Fast Times In
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 03, 2011
Ronya
rated it: 
I thought it would be good for me to read a book about where I come from. Ha. This one was actually quite interesting--written from an unexpected perspective, Olsen's take on what is/was happening in that area of the world was refreshing and interesting. It was perhaps a bit more pro-Palestinian than it was pro-Israeli, but Olsen's opinions were based on her actual experiences rather than bias or propaganda.
5 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 16, 2011
E
rated it:
I met the author at BEA, and her memoir is fascinating. An unexpected, unlikely love letter to Palestine. It will invite comparisons to Eat, Pray, Love, I imagine. But Fast Times in Palestine is funnier, more interesting, and more levelheaded in a way I appreciate.
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Oct 05, 2011
Tom
rated it:
An eye opener. I recommend it to everyone who would like to understand what's happening in that part of the world.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 16, 2011
Ghada
rated it:
A must read to anyone who wants to know about the daily life in Palestine and the general political situation. A brave, true, and heart taking book.
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Jan 27, 2012
Holly
rated it:
I've spent a lot of time in Palestine & I've read a lot of books on the topic. I wondered if this book had something new to offer... Turns out it did. I found Fast Times in Palestine to be authetic, funny, tragic and well-documented. Most of all, it was readable. Sometimes it's hard to swallow all the tradegies of the West Bank & Gaza. However, this book kept me turning pages on the kindle. I recommend it to anyone interested in Palestine or travel memoir.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 31, 2011
Angela
rated it:
This book was a real eye opener for me. This is Pamela Olsens personal account of her time in Palestine. The book gives a voice and humanity to the Palestinians without being political. It also gives you a lot a background about the area itself. It is a perfect book for those who want to learn more about the Palestine people and their plight, which is seldom heard in mainstream media.
Jan 30, 2012
Maryc
rated it:
it doesn't overwhelm like many on this subject-its a personal story and very easy reading but still provides a glimpse of the realities of daily living under occupation
Feb 23, 2012
Feb 22, 2012
Feb 21, 2012
Feb 17, 2012
Feb 16, 2012
Feb 14, 2012
Feb 14, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 18, 2012
Feb 08, 2012
