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Assaf Gavron\'s novel The Hilltop follows the lifespan of an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank which, as in a fairytale, comes into being ostensibly to satisfy a woman and child\'s innocent longing for salad greens.
\\nThe narrative follows two orphaned brothers who find themselves on the settlement for different reasons, and geographically we\'re taken from Ma\\u2019aleh Hermesch C to Tel Aviv, New York City, and Miami. We move in and out of government agencies and meetings, and at protests we find ourselves on both sides of the proposed separation wall. Ironically, the only thing both sides can agree upon is that the fence should not go up.
\\nAssaf displays a deep understanding of what motivates peoples and societies. \\u201cLonging is the engine of the world,\\u201d one character says, and the book portrays the varieties of human longing with dexterity and humor.
\\nTexts:
\\nThe Hilltop, by Assaf Gavron. Translated by Steven Cohen. Scribner (Nov. 2014).
\\nFurther reading:
\\nAlmost Dead, by Assaf Gavron. Translated by Assaf Gavron & James Lever. Harper (2006).
\\nTel Aviv Noir, edited by Assaf Gavron & Etgar Keret. Akashic (Oct. 2014)
\\nMusic:
\\nLeonard Cohen - Everybody Knows
\\nThe Mouth and Foot - Shluck Beton; Candy Store
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