The Almond Tree
by Michelle Cohen Corasanti
‘A must-read for those who are stumbling through the Israeli–Palestinian minefield for the first time and others who know its sorrows all too well’ – Washington Report on the Middle East
‘A rags-to-riches tale with love, suffering, death and justice thrown into the mix’ – Selma Dabbagh, author of Out of It
Gifted with a brilliant mind that has made a deep impression on the elders of his Palestinian village, Ahmed Hamid is nevertheless tormented by his inability to save his friends and family. Living under occupation, the inhabitants of the village harbour a constant fear of losing their homes, jobs, belongings – and each other.
On Ahmed’s twelfth birthday, that fear becomes a reality.
With his father now imprisoned, his family’s home and possessions confiscated and his siblings quickly succumbing to hatred in the face of conflict, Ahmed embarks on a journey to liberate his loved ones from their hardship, using his prodigious intellect. In so doing, he begins to reclaim a love for others that had been lost over the course of a childhood rife with violence, and discovers new hope for the future.
Praise for The Almond Tree:
“…brilliant and powerful…rings with authenticity and integrity…Some books have the power to change us profoundly; this is one of those books.”
“…finely crafted debut novel…[an] intimate tale of love and loss and awareness…”