'Gifts I Didn't Know Were Gifts' is an ode to the things we inherit from our families; 'gifts we didn't realize were gifts', the meaning we glean from stories, recipes, memories, and tangible items, and the stories they tell. Lena's family was forced to leave their home in Jerusalem, Palestine, and moved to Jordan, eventually settling all around the world in search of new places to make 'home'. This book is the culmination of the collection of all these inherited gifts – tangible and intangible – that piece together what her Palestinian identity means to her.

This risograph book is the culmination of work created during Risolana’s inaugural Artist-in-Residence Program. The Risolana residency explores meditations on community, dialogue, and reflection and provides artists with a stipend, access and technical support with the risograph machine, and a dedicated team to see their project come to light.