Kawar grew up in Bethlehem, studied Arab history and sociology in Beirut, and began collecting Palestinian costumes in her twenties after she became fascinated with some garments given to her
by a relative. She has been collecting for 50 years, and this elegantly produced oversize volume (9x11.5") represents the collection with full-page color plates of garments (and jewelry and
accessories), numerous smaller photos of people and places showing how and where such garments were or are worn, and thorough, informative text. The author states: "My aim is to capture the
complexity of Palestinian society through these personal histories and bitter-sweet memories of the women who owned the dresses." The material is organized area by area, each with its own
distinctive dress, and within each area, a focus on cities, towns, villages, and Bedouin tribes. The book is distributed in the US by International Publishers Marketing. Annotation 穢2011 Book
News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
