Dixiane Hallaj

Breakfast in Palestine Dixiane Hallaj

Young and impulsive, Dixiane dove heart-first into a cross cultural marriage four months after meeting the man who was to become her life's companion, Muhammad Hallaj. In the fairy tale version, they would have ridden off into the sunset and lived happily ever after. However, life seldom adheres to the fairy tale script. They had always planned to live in the Middle East, but their first reservations were cancelled by the June War of 1967. They rearranged their lives to be able to provide financial support for Muhammad's family should the need arise. In 1970 they tried again. Escalating unrest in Jordan did not derail their plans a second time. They mailed their extensive collection of books, packed personal belongings and set off with their two sons-walking right into a civil war called Black September. Breakfast in Palestine recounts Dixiane's introduction to her new Palestinian family, and how she coped with a new language, new culture, new social demands, and her love affair with the new and often unfamiliar foods-all while living through a war complete with tanks and heavy artillery.