Edward W. Said, author of the ground-breaking Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism, was born in 1935 in a country which no longer exists - Palestine. His memoir of growing up between nations, cultures and two extraordinary parents is now available in paperback. 'An intensely moving act of reclamation and understanding . . . To read it is to come to know his family and his younger self as closely as we know characters in literature, and to be shown, intimately and unforgettably, what it has meant in the last half-century to be a Palestinian.' SALMAN RUSHDIE 'I know I shall not read a work to match this one this year, or for many years.' NADINE GORDIMER 'Vividly portrayed in this work is Edward Said's path to self-realization, making him one of this fin-de-siecle's most indispensable intellectuals.' KENZABURO OE 'A major work of art: the great literary statement at which his previous books had only hinted.' Independent 'A fascinating book written by a gifted, brave man.' Sunday Telegraph 'Fine and beautifully written . . . a Palestinian Proust.' Independent on Sunday