A Palestinian Woman’s journey through The 1948 Nakba as a child, exile, and hope

Intessar: A Journey With a Smile is a powerful and heartfelt memoir that celebrates the life of Intessar, an extraordinary Palestinian woman whose story unfolds against the most turbulent chapters of Palestine’s history.

Born in the bustling coastal city of Jaffa, Intessar’s childhood was forever altered at the age of ten by the Nakba of 1948—the mass displacement that forced her family to flee first to Egypt and later to Gaza, where they began the difficult work of rebuilding their lives.

A true survivor, Intessar married, moved to Kuwait, and eventually built a new life in Canada. With resilience, faith, and grace, she raised her children, instilling in them the values of dignity and perseverance. Through her daughter Jasmin’s moving narration, readers are invited into a legacy shaped by displacement and renewal—a testament to the enduring strength of Palestinian women and their unshakable faith.

This memoir is more than one family’s story—it is a bridge between generations, a portrait of love’s endurance, and a reminder that even in the darkest times, a smile can be the greatest act of hope and resistance.