1. Chasing Miracles: A Magical Realist Chronicle of Bethlehem's Pioneering Merchants.
- Author
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Priestley, Eibhlin
- Subjects
- *
MERCHANTS , *MIRACLES , *PATRONAGE , *IMAGINATION , *FAMILY structure ,ADMINISTRATION of British colonies - Abstract
"Chasing Miracles: A Magical Realist Chronicle of Bethlehem's Pioneering Merchants" is a book review by Eibhlin Priestley that examines the late nineteenth-century emigration boom in Bethlehem and its connection to global capitalism through magical realist storytelling. The review focuses on the life of Jubrail Dabdoub, a pioneering transnational merchant, and explores the intersection of religion and commerce, changes in family and business structures, and the transformation of masculinity. The book challenges the notion that movement into Palestine was primarily from outside, highlighting the long history of Palestinian migration and exchange. It also explores the impact of Bethlehem's merchants on globalization, the commoditization of religion, and the expansion of global trade networks. The author uses storytelling and imagination, drawing from oral histories, to present this history in a speculative and refreshing way, offering a new direction for history-writing in the field of Middle East migration and diaspora studies. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2023