The Mystery of the Falcon’s Eye

An Action-Packed YA Adventure of Identity, History & Hope

17-year-old Ziad who lives in Qalandia refugee camp finds himself the sole bread winner of his family after his activist father gets arrested and becomes an administrative prisoner. We first meet Ziad while he’s selling hot tea to a long line of people waiting in their cars to cross the checkpoint. Ziad lives with his great grandmother, mother, sister and younger brother. His great Grandma is senile and keeps repeating stories of the past but there is one story – in particular- that never changes. 

It is the story of the family’s lost gold left in their village – Lifta – when they were forced to flee during the war. Ziad makes it his mission to find this gold which takes him on a treacherous journey back to his ancestral village.

An exciting and moving story full of action and suspense. It is also a story about what it means to be a refugee, living under occupation in a refugee camp generation after generation. It is a story about yearning to ‘return’ to the ancestral village his people were forced to leave and not allowed to return.

Title: The Mystery of the Falcon’s Eye (لغز عين الصقر)
Author: Taghreed Najjar
ISBN-13: 9789957040796
Format: Paperback novel
Pages: 175
Language: Arabic
Recommended Age: 12+ years
Themes: Adventure, mystery, coming-of-age, family heritage, Palestinian identity, resilience under occupation