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In his life, Aziz Shehadeh was many things \\u2014 among them a lawyer, a political detainee, and the father of activist and author, Raja Shehadeh.

Raja\\u2019s latest book,\\xa0We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I,\\xa0is a subtle psychological portrait of a complicated father-son relationship. Set against the backdrop of continuing political unrest, Raja describes his failure as a young man to recognize his father\\u2019s courage as an activist, and, in turn, his father\\u2019s inability to appreciate Raja\\u2019s own efforts in campaigning for Palestinian human rights. Then in 1985, Aziz Shehadeh is murdered, and Raja undergoes a profound and irrevocable change.

We Could Have Been Friends\\xa0acts in part as the story of Palestine\\u2019s continual fight against multiple foreign powers, but at its core presents a poignant unraveling of a complex father-son relationship, unlike many we have seen before.

Raja Shehadeh\\xa0is Palestine\\u2019s leading writer. He is also a lawyer and the founder of the pioneering Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq. Shehadeh is the author of several acclaimed books including\\xa0Strangers in the House,\\xa0Occupation Diaries, and\\xa0Palestinian Walks, which won the prestigious Orwell Prize.