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The Almond Tree Michelle Cohen Corasanti Books

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The Almond Tree Michelle Cohen Corasanti Books

The novel begins with the family of Ichmad Hamid, who lives in extreme poverty in one of the Arab villages within the triangle (coincidentally not far from where I live). The hero of the book is Ichmad, who tells the story in the first person. He had lost two sisters in tragic circumstances. His father, Baba, was arrested by the Israeli security authorities as he unwillingly had a weapons cache hidden on his property and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. His mother used to make their clothes from bits of material that she had acquired and Ichmad’s shoes were made from old car tires. Their home was blown up as it was built illegally and they lived in a tent under shocking conditions. There was also a curfew in those days (in the 1960s) in the Arab villages for security reasons.

Ichmad and his brother, Abbas, worked in a Jewish settlement as building laborers in order to support the family. Their wages helped to keep the family above water for basics. The description of their living and working conditions boggles the imagination. Abbas was pushed off the building site by an Israeli worker and this left him crippled for the rest of his life and very bitter towards Israelis.

Apparently Ichmad was a brilliant pupil but nothing much is written about that aspect of his life. Mohammed, his tutor, helped him with his lessons even though he was absent from school because he had to support his family. Ichmad won a scholarship to study at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as he had a great aptitude for science. How this is possible with minimum of schooling and under the conditions he lived and worked adds a touch of surrealism to the novel.

This book is well written and I would recommend reading this novel with an open mind. The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict is the background to this novel and it does raise many questions. It is also a very emotional issue for both Arabs and Jews that live in Israel. However, there is a slight bias in that there is more empathy towards Palestinian suffering, but on the other hand I felt that this bias had been overcome largely but not entirely by the fact that Ichmad achieved what he did due to a sympathetic Israeli, Professor Menachem Sharon, with whom he worked and studied. Initially this professor was hostile towards Ichmad but eventually they overcame their differences and became close friends as well as colleagues in their research work together.

Nevertheless, the subject matter does make for a good novel as it holds one’s interest throughout and it is definitely a worthwhile read. It is not a sensational novel or cliff hanger. There is no doubt that the writer is talented and this is her first book.


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The Almond Tree Michelle Cohen Corasanti Books Reviews

In my life, the Arab-Israeli conflict is like background noise and has been all my life. Neither are my culture. While the politics confuse me, and the unfairness hurts me, in the end, it's not my story, so why read fiction about it? Because fiction can educate and enlighten,

The Almond Tree the story of a young boy in Palestine, that country that's always plaguing Israel. Or is the other way around? Ichmad and his family go from being comfortable in their own home and orchards until chunk by bloody chunk, Israeli soldiers take everything away, including family members. They are left destitute and Ichmad has to leave his promising school work to do difficult physical labor because of something innocent he did to help his countrymen that ended up costing his family dearly. His younger brother goes with him and is critically wounded in an accident.

Over the years, with his extreme hard work and self-sacrifice, Ichmad improves his families situation. Using the wisdom of his father, Baba, which as first went against his initial reaction of hate for all of Israel, he rises above the conflict and succeeds in amazing ways.

I appreciated seeing the side of things we don't see on the news here in America, which is typically pro-Israel. The Almond Tree skews the image of Israel always being the victim. This book, if accurate, gives a view on the Palestinian side of the wall and all the horror of poverty, the hopelessness of oppression. But it doesn't completely vindicate those people, either.

Despite the hardness and ugliness, The Almond Tree is really a book of hope. There are plenty of Jews and Arabs willing to put aside political differences for the sake of science and humanities. But they rarely make it onto the news.
Amazing, wonderful book!

Following the life of a Palestinian boy whose mathematical genius opens opportunities that would otherwise be denied him, The Almond Tree describes the changes that resulted from the formation of the nation of Israel from the Palestinian point of view. When his father is unjustly imprisoned for fourteen years, Ichmad Hamid is forced to become the provider for his family. It is only through the insistence of his teacher that he continues studying after working all day; Teacher Mohammed also alerts him to a mathematics competition that offers a scholarship to Hebrew University, a competition that Ichmad wins. Despite the pressing needs of his family, Ichmad's father persuades him to accept, knowing that the opportunity will lead to better things for all of them.

What follows is a story of awakening to the possibilities of co-existence between enemies, and the costs that our choices can carry. For while Ichmad goes on to form valuable friendships with his fellow students and faculty, all of whom are Jewish, a rift develops between him and his brother, Abbas, who is unable to overlook the injustices done to their family.

I found this book to be both uplifting and, at times, depressing. Uplifting, because the story presented is very possible in the real world, despite the difficulties that exist between Israelis and Palestinians. Depressing, due to the graphic descriptions of living conditions of the Palestinians in parts of Israel.

Michelle Cohen Corasanti has produced a very impressive debut novel, one in which the characters are highly developed, the plot is riveting, and the writing is excellent. With a vision of what can be accomplished when fear and mistrust are put aside, she has issued a challenge to all who would judge based on stereotypes rather than character. I look forward to more from this very talented author
The novel begins with the family of Ichmad Hamid, who lives in extreme poverty in one of the Arab villages within the triangle (coincidentally not far from where I live). The hero of the book is Ichmad, who tells the story in the first person. He had lost two sisters in tragic circumstances. His father, Baba, was arrested by the Israeli security authorities as he unwillingly had a weapons cache hidden on his property and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. His mother used to make their clothes from bits of material that she had acquired and Ichmad’s shoes were made from old car tires. Their home was blown up as it was built illegally and they lived in a tent under shocking conditions. There was also a curfew in those days (in the 1960s) in the Arab villages for security reasons.

Ichmad and his brother, Abbas, worked in a Jewish settlement as building laborers in order to support the family. Their wages helped to keep the family above water for basics. The description of their living and working conditions boggles the imagination. Abbas was pushed off the building site by an Israeli worker and this left him crippled for the rest of his life and very bitter towards Israelis.

Apparently Ichmad was a brilliant pupil but nothing much is written about that aspect of his life. Mohammed, his tutor, helped him with his lessons even though he was absent from school because he had to support his family. Ichmad won a scholarship to study at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as he had a great aptitude for science. How this is possible with minimum of schooling and under the conditions he lived and worked adds a touch of surrealism to the novel.

This book is well written and I would recommend reading this novel with an open mind. The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict is the background to this novel and it does raise many questions. It is also a very emotional issue for both Arabs and Jews that live in Israel. However, there is a slight bias in that there is more empathy towards Palestinian suffering, but on the other hand I felt that this bias had been overcome largely but not entirely by the fact that Ichmad achieved what he did due to a sympathetic Israeli, Professor Menachem Sharon, with whom he worked and studied. Initially this professor was hostile towards Ichmad but eventually they overcame their differences and became close friends as well as colleagues in their research work together.

Nevertheless, the subject matter does make for a good novel as it holds one’s interest throughout and it is definitely a worthwhile read. It is not a sensational novel or cliff hanger. There is no doubt that the writer is talented and this is her first book.