Two teenage girls, thirty-three years apart — an evocative, haunting debut about belonging, displacement and the search for a lost sister.
It is the year 2000 when Dinah, a Jewish teenager from London, arrives in Israel with her family. Still reeling from the death of her beloved dad, the idea of having to start all over again daunts her. Dinah isn't quite sure what to make of this seemingly pristine place: her new life seems soulless and suffocating.
Another teenager, Safa, watches Dinah settle in. A fourteen-year-old Palestinian who was shot and killed decades ago in the Six Day War, Safa is caught in limbo. She is unable to pass on fully without knowing what happened to her younger sister, Nur, who is still alive somewhere. After thirty-three years, the possibility of finding her sister is suddenly within reach — but Safa needs Dinah's help.
Alternating between past and present, and between Safa and Dinah, Ever Land is an evocative and powerful story that sheds light on the ongoing occupation of Palestine. It is a tale of belonging and identity, of devastation and displacement and — ultimately — of the enduring universality of humanity and love.
Praise
“Compassionate and beautifully observed.” — Guy Gunaratne
“A haunting, lyrical novel that seems almost to dissolve time.” — Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses
“Ambitious and complex but handled with impressive ease.” — Rose Tremain
“Cleverly conceived and brilliantly engaging… a powerful novel. Read this.” — Priscilla Morris
Perfect for readers of
Susan Abulhawa's Mornings in Jenin, Louise Kennedy, and literary fiction that carries a ghost story inside a history. Jacket design and illustration by Emma Ewbank.
