RAMALLAH, West Bank — “The Tale of the Secret of Oil,” a new book for young readers, was launched this September at the Mahmoud Darwish museum in Ramallah, but unlike most book launches, the author, Walid Daqqa, was conspicuously absent. He wrote the book in prison, where he has been since 1986.
"The Tale of the Secret of Oil” is Daqqa's first novel for children and adolescents, though he has written others in the genre known as prison literature. Published by the Tamer Institute for Community Education, it narrates the story of 12-year-old Jude, who was conceived with his father’s sperm smuggled out of prison.
The story begins as Jude prepares to see his father for the first time but receives news that his visit has been canceled due to security concerns. Heartbroken, the boy goes for a walk in the countryside, where he talks with different animals and plants: a rabbit called Samour, a bird named Abu Risha, Khanfour the cat, Abu Na the dog and finally a 1,500-year-old olive tree called Um Rumi. They all listen to his pain over the canceled visit and, in turn, tell him of their suffering under the occupation and their longing for freedom.
Um Rumi tells Jude that the Israeli authorities threatened to uproot and move her from her home in the West Bank to the city of Afula, in northern Israel. She then tells Jude a secret in the form of her sacred oil. When rubbed on his skin, the oil makes Jude invisible, helping him access his father in his cell. His father fears he is losing his mind on hearing a child’s voice utter the words, “I am your son, Jude."
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