The Almond Tree

About this book

The Almond Treeis an epic novel, a drama of the proportions of The Kite Runner, but set in Palestine. Michelle Cohen Corasanti delivers a universal story of human courage and perseverance in her debut novel. Beginning in a small rural village, a young boy named Ichmad comes of age from the 1950s to 2010 in a journey of enlightenment and understanding of the climate that surrounds him. The Almond Treeis an inspirational story of unfathomable pain and an incredible perseverance. The book humanizes a culture and brings characters from a distant land to life, with a family united by love but divided by their personal beliefs. From Ichmad's staunchly traditional and at times overbearing mother, to his father who believes in the power of education, the crux of the family's story lies in the growing dispute between two brothers who choose very different paths in order to create a new future. Michelle Cohen Corasanti's personal experience of living in Israel for seven years while attending high school and obtaining her undergraduate degree in Middle Eastern studies from the Hebrew University lends her the perspective, insight and ability to shed new light on a controversial history. The Almond Treeshowcases the resilience of the human spirit and brings forth a message of the necessity of education and a plan for peace in the conflict.