Gifted with a mind that continues to impress the elders in his village, Ichmad Hamid struggles with knowing that he can do nothing to save his friends and family. Living on occupied land, his entire village operates in fear of losing their homes, jobs, and belongings. But more importantly, they fear losing each other. On Ichmad's twelfth birthday, that fear becomes reality. With his father imprisoned, his family's home and possessions confiscated, and his siblings quickly succumbing to hatred in the face of conflict, Ichmad begins an inspiring journey using his intellect to save his poor and dying family. In doing so he reclaims a love for others that was lost through a childhood rife with violence and loss, and discovers a new hope for the future. 'Let's make this the next Kite Runner!' Ricciarda Barbieri, Feltrinelli 'Last night I could hardly sleep. I am excited. From the first 50 pages I knew that I wanted to publish the novel in our Amsterdam imprint. (...) I really loved it, it had me gripped, it made me cry (more than laugh), it made me think and, in a way, it transformed me, which is what I ask most of in a book. Yes, yes, yes, we want to publish it!' Izaskun Arretxe, editor and director, Ara Llibres 'It has been a long time since a book struck me so hard. (...) It is an honest novel. There is no death or tragedy in it that leaves you indifferent or that comes across as sensationalist. (...) I felt captured from the first moment by her voice and her style. It is an honest story, exciting, with touching moments... It addresses a subject which is always present. A novel that shows pain, but also hope.' Carol París, foreign fiction editor, Ediciones B 'We have read The Almond Tree, and we simply love it! It's such a beautiful and strong story - and it made me cry several times. We will do our best to make sure that this beautiful novel gets all the readers it deserves.' Inger Marit Hansen, editor, Schibsted Forlag 'THE ALMOND TREE offers that rare combination of emotion and meaningfulness. The very complex situation in Palestine territories and Israel is dealt with in a very clever way that provides both humanizing insight and a perspective not often seen. THE ALMOND TREE is an accessible commercial novel with a literary appeal. The characters are engaging and believable, and we sympathize deeply with them. The novel's perspective and the fact that the core of the story is a personal journey (against many odds) makes it enormously captivating. What really got me however -other than the simply gripping storytelling- is that this is a book which will make us think, it offers themes and points of view you want to discuss, and I can see reading groups are just waiting for a book like this. (...) To bring such a complex and sensitive subject down to a pure human story is a great achievement, and - next to the great reading experience this book provides - I also feel it's message of perseverance, unity and humanity is important and should be spread. THE ALMOND TREE is part a sad and poignant story that reflects the inherent absurdity of the situation Ichmad's family is in, and possibly of any family during war times. But more than that, this is a moving story of family love, hope and the power of dreams.' Sander Knol, publisher, Xander Uitgevers

REVIEWS

With the onset of adulthood, one already must cope with so much. The Almond Tree follows the struggles of young Ichmad Hamid as his family is lose to strife, imprisonment, and everything they hold dear. The twelve year old learns it may be on him to use his limited talents to help his family and bring back something of a life. The Almond Tree is a strong addition to coming of age fiction collections, highly recommended.
The Midwest Book Review, 2013/01

"Corasanti's accomplished debut novel offers a humanistic look into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...Sensitive, moving and competently written, a complex novel as necessary as ever."
Kirkus Reviews, 2013/01

"So how will Americans be able to put on those shoes and see through those eyes? By engaging in loud debate? Vociferous argument? Lengthy lectures? Probably not. Sometimes it takes a small thing, something unforeseen, to open eyes and galvanize opinion. How about a good story? Yes, a good story. Here's one: a novel entitled The Almond Tree. The first novel of a Jewish New Yorker, Michelle Cohen Corasanti, an epic drama of the proportions of The Kite Runner, but set in Palestine. A story that grabs you from the first page and makes your heart go out to the Palestinians without pointing fingers at anyone. An adventure that brings you into the magical world that travelers once crossed on horseback or camel towards Beirut, Amman or Cairo. A land where for centuries Christians, Muslims and Jews shared their traditions. Where the children inherited the land, generation after generation, and the clans stayed together. Where courage was not the absence of fear, but the absence of selfishness. Where children learned a fundamental principle of life: decency. Spanning six turbulent decades, The Almond Tree follows Ichmad, a gifted Palestinian boy from a small rural village, on a journey of painful enlightenment as he seeks to keep his family together while trying to make sense of the violent conflict that surrounds him. When he encounters hardships and obstacles, Ichamd must learn to respond without hatred and understand that soldiers are only human beings and that war is merely politics. This novel is not a political lecture, but a gripping and compassionate work of fiction that puts the reader in those shoes that Obama spoke of. If Americans can find the time to read this novel, I believe they will be inspired to ask questions and do research. The next time they watch CBS, FOX, NBC or CNN, instead of anonymous refugees or 'terrorists,' they will see the faces of mothers with children, grandparents with grandchildren, parents with brothers. People going to work, returning from school, shopping in the market. People who can't pick the oranges from their own trees because the Israeli military have blocked them off. Students who can't accept their scholarships to Harvard or Yale because Israeli authorities don't allow them to leave Gaza. And then, those same Americans who have been silent and unaware will demand justice and peace. Because this wonderful story is not about being anti-Israel, but about helping Israel to live in peace with its Palestinians brothers and sisters. Through The Almond Tree we can step into the shoes of the Palestinians. Then, we will begin to see, with our own eyes, a glimmer of hope in solving a conflict that weighs so much on us all."
Guillermo Fesser, The Huffington Post, 2013/06

"The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti is not the definitive Palestinian narrative, rather, it is the story of one Palestinian and his family. It is a work of fiction, but many of the incidents are based on things that really happened to the residents of Israeli Arab villages and the Gaza Strip. This is Ichmad's story, told in a manner that strongly resembles the voice and narrative used by Khaled Hosseini in his popular novel, The Kite Runner. This will not be easy reading for Israelis and Jews elsewhere, but it should be required reading. The pain and suffering described are that of the Palestinian protagonist. The victims of Palestinian terrorism are not mentioned because they play no role in Ichmad's life. The narrative is clearly one-sided, but it is a side that is unknown to the Israeli public. Any chances of reconciliation and peaceful relations between Israelis and Palestinians depend on hearing and understanding what has taken place on the other side, and this is true in both directions. "
Ellis Shuman, The Times of Israel, The Times of Israel

"...Michelle Corasanti's profound and finely crafted debut novel tells the story of