The Hilltop: A Novel

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Mordantly funny and deeply moving, this award-winning novel about life in a West Bank settlement has been hailed as brilliant (The New York Times Book Review) and The Great Israeli Novel [in which] Gavron stakes his claim to be Israels Jonathan Franzen (Tablet).On a rocky hilltop stands Maaleh Hermesh C, a fledgling outpost of Jewish settlers in the West Bank. According to government records it doesnt exist; according to the military it must be defended. On this contested land, Othniel Assis under the wary gaze of the Palestinians in the neighboring village lives on his farm with his ever-expanding family. As Othniel cheerfully manipulates government agencies, more settlers arrive, and a hodge-podge of shipping containers and mobile homes takes root.One steadfast resident is Gabi Kupper, a former kibbutz dweller who savors the delicate routines of life on the settlement. When Gabis prodigal brother, Roni, arrives penniless on his doorstep with a bizarre plan to sell the artisanal olive oil from the Palestinian village to Tel Aviv yuppies, Gabi worries his life wont stay quiet for long. Then a nosy American journalist stumbles into Maaleh Hermesh C, and Gabis worst fears are confirmed. The settlement becomes the focus of an international diplomatic scandal, facing its greatest threat yet.This indispensable novel (The Wall Street Journal) skewers the complex, often absurd reality of life in Israel. Grappling with one of the most charged geo-political issues of our time, Gavrons story gains a foothold in our hearts and minds and stubbornly refuses to leave (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

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