The role of Arabs in the Spanish Civil War has only been associated with the Moroccan troops who were brought to Spain by Franco in order to fight against the Republicans. This image has been predominant throughout the last several decades, overshadowing the existence of the many other Arabs who were among the international volunteers who defended democracy. The story of Sidki, a Palestinian journalist who came to Spain as one such volunteer, reveals this little-known historical fact. The war was a turning point for Sidki’s family, and particularly for his eldest daughter Dulia, who was stuck in Russia for 20 years and had to live her life separated from her family. The turmoil that steered the 20th century dispersed Sidki’s family: the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Nakba and the Lebanese Civil War; the 1900s are retraced through the story of this one family.