A haunting love story between a young Israeli translator and a Palestinian painter.
A chance encounter in New York brings two strangers together: Liat is an idealistic translation student, Hilmi a talented young painter. Together they explore the city, share fantasies, jokes and homemade meals, and fall in love. There is only one problem: Liat is from Israel, Hilmi from Palestine.
Keeping their deepening relationship secret, the two lovers build an intimate universe for two in this city far from home. But outside reality can only be kept at bay for so long. After a tempestuous visit from Hilmi's brother, cracks begin to form in the relationship, and their points of difference - Liat's military service, Hilmi's hopes for Palestine's future - threaten to overwhelm their shared present. When they return separately to their divided countries, Liat and Hilmi must decide whether to keep going, or let go.
A prizewinning bestseller, but banned in Israeli schools for its frank and tender depiction of a taboo relationship, this is the deeply affecting story of two people trying to bridge one of the most deeply riven borders in the world.
About the Author
Dorit Rabinyan is bestselling author of the acclaimed Persian Brides and Strand of a Thousand Pearls. She is the recipient of the Itzhak Vinner Prize, The Prime Minister's Prize and the Jewish Quarterly Wingate Award. This book was named one of the ten best books of the year by Ha'aretz newspaper.
Industry Reviews
A touching, raw and gorgeous love story with an ending which snatched the air from my lungs. * Stylist *
A fine, subtle and disturbing study of the ways in which public events encroach upon the private lives of those who attempt to live and love in peace with each other, and, impossibly, with a riven and irreconcilable world. -- John Banville
Enthralls and delights ... Rabinyan beautifully loops the story from season to season, depicting Liat and Hilmi's lives and love vividly and memorably. * Publishers Weekly *
I stand with Dorit Rabinyan. Love, not hate, will save us. Hatred sows hatred, but love can break down barriers. -- Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
Even the (asymmetrical) tragedy of the two peoples does not overwhelm this precise and elegant love story, drawn with the finest of lines ... Astonishing -- Amos Oz
Rabinyan is a generous writer who puts her characters first... Rabinyan's writing reflects the honesty and modesty of a true artisan. She is meticulous, to be sure, but at the same time she doesn't appear to be straining, and this is what sets someone like her apart from those who merely practice the craft of writing. -- Dorit Shilo * Ha'aretz *
