Dancing Arabs, by Sayed Kashua

A nice book by an Arab Israeli author, about the tribulations of a young Arab growing up in Israel, caught between the two cultures of his land, desperately trying to become like a Jew, since he thinks it's the only way to better his life and self-esteem. Through a series of small chapters, very well written in a dry and ironic humor, one gets the sense of the plight of the poor Arab citizens, their difficult situation and the many obstacles they have to surmount until they can become full citizens of Israel. Besides the problems of poverty, lack of education and being an ethnic minority, and the consequent sense of inadequacy and frustration, common to many other disadvantaged minorities in many countries, there's above all a problem of troubled identity, due to the particular history and politics of the region, the sense of being betrayed by the other Arabs that have kept them in an intolerable situation for decades and don't do anything to really help them. There are no answers or solutions in the book, only questions and a vivid portrayal of the situation, through characters sometimes endearing, sometimes despicable, not always likeable, but eminently believable.