The daughter of a prominent Palestinian father and a sophisticated Lebanese mother, Najla Said grew up in New York City, confused and conflicted about her cultural background and identity, unsure about who she was supposed to be, and often in denial of the differences she sensed between her family and those around her.
She may have been born a Palestinian-Lebanese American, but in Najla's mind she grew up first as a WASP (baptized Episcopalian in Boston; attending the wealthy Upper East Side girls' school Chapin), then as a teenaged Jew, essentially denying her true roots, even to herself, until well into adulthood. As she grew older, making increased visits to Palestine and Beirut, Najla's world-view shifted, making it impossible for Najla to continue to pick and choose her identity, in some ways allowing her to see herself and her passions more clearly.
