The Palace of Angels
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Mohammed Massoud Morsi
Birds born in a cage think that flying is a crime.
الطُيور اَلتى تُولَد فى القَفَصْ تَعتقِد أنَّ اَلطيران جَريمَة
Interwoven in the anguish and trauma of Palestine, is a cross-border romance of ineffable charm—served equally with the remorseless realism of war and the bare-skinned surrender of two young warriors who break the rules. He, a Palestinian and she, an Israeli soldier—confront the tyrannies of power—political, religious, and personal.
In a surge of almost giddying prose that pulls us page-by-page, that questions our values in a fever of anticipation, the reader is confronted by the dichotomy between love and the lifetime punishment of war. What do we ultimately become when we are bereft of hope? Are we really prepared to pay the price for what we believe? This trilogy of novels begins with the reckless urge of idealism. It traverses the personal narrative rarely heard and closes with a finale that any lover would applaud. It is irresistible reading.
Praise
"A tender, intimate and compelling collection of stories, The Palace of Angels will take you on surprising and devastating explorations of love and life, distilling the true cost of tragedy, oppression and unrealised potential. Mohammed Massoud Morsi does not undermine the brutality of a life lived under occupation, but he offers a rare narrative: one that does not merely glimpse our humanity, but breaks it open to expose the bones of how we live and connect, and how our failure to do so affects us all. Morsi is a masterful storyteller, whose elegant and vivid prose beautifully captures what it means to live rather than simply exist, holding a mirror up for the reader to recognise the connections between all things." Amal Awad, journalist and author of Bitter & Sweet.
"With all the sympathy one might feel, it is impossible for an outsider to imagine what it is like to be a Palestinian living in the West Bank or Gaza today. Morsi affords one a revealing glimpse." Daniel Gavron, author and former editor, Israel Radio and the Jerusalem Post.
"Vital, brutal and tender, The Palace of Angels is written with the urgency of breaking news and the delicacy of poetry. This is Morsi at his passionate best." Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer prizewinner.
"This is a book whose tentacles source every emotion. It’s a comforting book and a tragic one…prepare to be captivated." Ian Lipke, Queensland Reviewers Collective.
"‘Twenty-two Years to Life’ is a moving and heart-breaking tale based on a true story. It brings new meaning both to steadfastness and the human suffering within the mega prison of the Gaza Strip. The level of the occupier’s cruelty is matched by the fragile humanity of the occupied – in a way that can only be appreciated with the personal narrative so beautifully spun. The human complexity turns and twists and is then exposed in this powerful tale of the clash between love and hate, revenge and compassion, within an impossible and abnormal reality of occupation, colonisation and ethnic cleansing. The Palace of Angels is a gripping tale that challenges our preconceived ideas and identities." Ilan Pappe, Israeli historian and author of Israel on the Brink.
"The Palace of Angels was hurting, shaking, made me dizzy and uncomfortable, gave me hope and filled me with despair, all at once." Kobi Touch, Israeli educator.
"Morsi has brilliantly captured the grim reality of life in Palestine. His writing is sheer lyricism. Three stories in one, where powerlessness, despair and extreme violence are intertwined with tender understanding and love in the most impossible of circumstances. Through fiction he speaks the powerful truth." Melissa Parke, former politician and UN human rights lawyer.
"I did not think my heart could both break and soar any more over my father’s homeland. I did not think I had more tears or laughter. And yet Mohammed Massoud Morsi’s The Palace of Angels took me by surprise. It moved me deeply, reminding me of the power of storytelling to reveal how living under occupation packages the absurd and the tragic, despair and compassion, into individual and collective lives. Morsi is a tremendous storyteller who pulls off this ambitious, big work because he pays attention to the details, treating his characters with tenderness even at the moments when the reader thinks they least deserve it. This is a book to be read and re-read." Randa Abdel-Fattah, sociologist, lawyer and author of Discipline.
"The stories have an insistent, almost existential quality to them – the future lies beyond certainty, and yet the heart carries on. Morsi’s great skill as a storyteller is to place us in the heart of this foreign situation, describing everything, both physical and emotional, with an economy of exposition. This is an exigent and authentic book, a tribute both to the idea of safe refuge and of transcending hatred. It is incredibly vital and powerful. I urge you to read this as it deserves, and will reward, your attention." Robert O’Hearn, Bloomsbury Publishing product manager.
"This is a book about love, though at first it may appear to be a story of ancient hatreds. Slowly, and with big-hearted charm, Morsi creates a world in which love is the only antidote to fear." Sisonke Msimang, activist and author of The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela.
"‘What is Past is Dead’ is about desperate actions we sometimes take to counter desperate events. The best thing about this novella: it is an intimate portrait of one man’s life. Had Morsi painted this work on a bigger canvas, it would not have worked nearly so well as what he has done instead, which is to present us with a very fine cameo." T. D. Whittle, author of Stranger Places.
"Morsi, writing with tremendous empathy, has distilled a political conflict into a very human, visceral story. The dichotomy between love and oppression echoes through this powerful narrative, taking the reader on a shifting journey between the delicate and the devastating." WritingWA.
Book details
ISBN: 978-1-76080-334-6
PUBLICATION DATE: 1 May 2026
FORMAT: paperback
EXTENT: 400 pages
RIGHTS: ANZ
CATEGORY: fiction;
PRICE: $34.99 AUD incl GST