The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti Book Blast‏ & Giveaway

“An epic drama of the proportions of The Kite Runner… Grabs you from the first page… A gripping and compassionate work of fiction”
—Huffington Post

About The Almond Tree

The unforgettable story of a young Palestinian boy whose mathematical gifts allow him to escape the difficulties of life as an Arab Israeli, The Almond Tree is a beautifully crafted debut novel written by a Jewish American woman from the perspective of a Palestinian Muslim male. It is about the power of love, the price of hatred, and the possibility of redemption.


Even as a young boy Ahmed Hamid struggles with knowing that he can do nothing to save his friends and family. Coming of age under Israeli martial law, his entire village operates in fear of losing their homes, jobs, and belongings. But more importantly, they fear losing each other.

On Ahmed's twelfth birthday, that fear becomes reality.

With his father imprisoned, his family's home and possessions confiscated, and his beloved brother Abbas succumbing to hatred in the face of conflict, Ahmed must find a way to care for his family and find a better future for himself. Gifted with a mind that can solve mathematical equations, he uses his intellect to take an inspiring journey that will lead him from his war-torn homeland to a life in America he could never have imagined for himself.


A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of half a century of conflict, The Almond Tree is a powerful novel that allows us to walk in one extraordinary Palestinian’s shoes and see the world through his eyes.


“Corasanti’s accomplished debut novel offers a humanistic look into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...Sensitive, moving…” —Kirkus Reviews

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Praise for The Almond Tree

“The story is spell-binding with universal appeal…”
The Daily Star

” …a strong addition to coming of age fiction collections, highly recommended.”
The MidwestBook Review

“…one of the most riveting books I have read…
Corasanti takes a realistic premise and builds an interesting and highly believable story that only gets better as the pages fly by. While “The Almond Tree” is a fictional tale, much of it is based on the truth of what is today’s world, and as such there is also an important message located within. I highly recommend this book.”
Charline Ratcliff / Rebecca’s Reads

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Author Michelle Cohen Corasanti

Michelle Cohen Corasanti received a BA from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and an MA from Harvard University, both in Middle Eastern Studies. A Jewish American, she lived in Israel for seven years and was married to a Palestinian Muslim for several years afterwards. Nearly a decade in the making, The Almond Tree grew out of the many stories Michelle heard and witnessed while living with Palestinians and Israeli friends and family she knew and loved in Israel and at Harvard. She currently lives in New York with her family.

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Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/6/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Review - The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti

It's a book I won from Goodreads First Reads giveaway. The book arrived only a week after the giveaway ended, the fastest time I've ever received my prize. Another week later though, I received a note saying I have a package waiting for me in the post office. This was a surprise, I wasn't currently expecting anything. So I went to get it, eager to see what it is. And it was another copy of the same book. They'd sent me two books! Not that I whined about it, I just hope no one else missed their copy 'cause of that :D I gave the extra copy to my sister. Anyway, the fact that I won it doesn't affect my review in any way.

Genres: Historical Fiction / War
Length: 348 pages
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description:
Gifted with a mind that continues to impress the elders in his village, Ichmad Hamid struggles with the knowledge that he can do nothing to save his friends and family. Living on occupied land, his entire village operates in constant 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 discovers a new hope for the future.

My review: (contains minor spoilers)
I wish I had written this review sooner after finishing the book, but once I postpone something, I postpone it big! My thoughts may not be as fresh anymore, but my amazement at this story continues to stay the same. Hopefully I remember everything I wanted to say when I'd just read it (:

The Almond Tree is set in a time and place which, when combined, I honestly knew almost nothing about. The cruelty shocked me, even if it wasn't really surprising. I've studied European history at school, so I knew some about the Jews, but that's about it. The Almond Tree has opened my eyes to another part of this world and I admit I feel embarrassed for hearing everything about the Arab-Israeli conflict for the first time from this very book.

Ichmad's story was eerily realistic and felt more like a biography (though I've never read one) than fiction. I've never encountered a book which has made me sympathize with its characters as much as this one did. I was standing right there, watching this family suffer, feeling what they felt, hoping with them. I didn't want them to go through more devastation as they already had, but there always seemed to be this hopelessness keeping this family in its clutches. There was so much and too many people they lost. However, Ichmad didn't give up and that's what granted him a better future. Its beautifully flowing writing made the book even more enjoyable, and the pace was just right.

The characters were likeable, mostly because they weren't just words on paper, they were real. We could see their development over the years, especially Ichmad's as he got over his hate. He wasn't only bright when it came to science, his father was a great example for him and I think he saved Ichmad in more ways than one. In fact, I think Ichmad's Baba was my most favourite character in this whole book.

I never stopped loving Abbas too, even with the path he took. I felt extremely sorry when he had the accident as a kid, and when his son died near the ending of the story. Khaled's suicide was deeply saddening purely because of the idea why he did it. I don't hate many things, I definitely don't hate any person, but if there's something I do absolutely loathe, it's wars, and people's disgusting need for power.

There's someone else I can't leave unmentioned, and that's professor Sharon. I deeply disliked him at first, so it's all the more astonishing how much I came to like his character. His and Ichmad's relationship as they worked together was truly heartwarming. I'm the kind of person that keeps emotions in and only rarely releases them, usually all together in a burst when I'm alone. That also means I don't cry easily when reading about a sad incident in a book or seeing something sad in a movie. But somehow, in the end, when Ichmad and Sharon made their speech to the whole world, I had tears in my eyes. It's abuse and the sensitivity of the soul that can affect me the most.

Of course no book is perfect if it's looked at through the eyes of a critic. I simply can't remember any details I didn't quite like, but I know they weren't anything big. Perhaps what bothered me the most was that quotes were like 'this' instead of "this".

I wish this book was translated into my home tongue, Estonian, not because I found it hard to read in English - in fact I'm sure the original edition is the most pure - but because I want other people to read it too. Michelle Cohen Corasanti is an amazing writer, even more so knowing her background. For one, I've always found, and still do, that this land's traditions are a little odd, but it never bothered me because the author made me understand. Let me say this book was worth every second of my time. I never thought I'd love a historical realistic fiction - two genres that barely get my attention - so much. It's definitely a story I would recommend.


Click here to see this review on Goodreads.