New Books Explore Personal Journeys and Israeli Society
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Two new novels by young Israeli authors, Chen Booker Amar and Maya Benvenisti, explore personal growth and complex relationships. Journalist Ruth Margalit's new book collects profiles of prominent Israelis, offering insights into a society in crisis. Additionally, Shira Geffen has released a children's book featuring stories from children displaced by the October 7th attacks, illustrating their resilience and imagination.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Chen Booker Amar and Maya Benvenisti released new novels exploring personal journeys and relationships.
- Journalist Ruth Margalit's book "Inside the Belly of the Whale" profiles prominent Israelis.
- Margalit's book includes profiles of figures like Sayed Kashua, Miri Regev, and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
- Shira Geffen published "No Entry for Monsters," a children's book with stories from displaced youth.
- The children's book features tales from survivors of the October 7th attacks.
- The new books cover themes from coming-of-age and love to societal critique and trauma.
Two young Israeli authors have released debut novels offering intimate and bold narratives. Chen Booker Amar's "X Disappeared" chronicles a coming-of-age story, moving from the periphery to the big city, detailing a life of singlehood filled with loves, heartbreaks, awakenings, and resilience. The book, structured around ex-boyfriends, includes anecdotes of unusual dates and awkward texts, reflecting what is described as a generational voice. Booker Amar, a media professional from Ashdod, is married with a child.
Maya Benvenisti's novel "The Student" is also described as daring. Set in England, it tells the story of Audre, an idealistic Israeli-British teacher who develops feelings for her student, Simon, a bright but melancholic teenager. This infatuation challenges Audre and offers insights into male-female relationships. Benvenisti is a teacher and social activist focused on feminism, sex education, and human rights.
Journalist Ruth Margalit, known for her profile pieces in The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine, has published a collection of her work titled "Inside the Belly of the Whale, Portraits of a Society in Crisis." The book features profiles of prominent Israelis, including journalist Sayed Kashua, politician Miri Regev, archaeologist Israel Finkelstein, politician Mansour Abbas, hostage family member Einav Tsengauker, politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, and journalist Yinon Magal. Margalit, who recently returned to live in Israel, offers an intimate yet detached perspective on Israeli society, its divisions, insensitivity, violence, and the politics of insult, with some pieces written before October 7th. The book opens with a personal account of her daughter's birth at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv during the return of hostages from Gaza and concludes with a farewell portrait of her mother, philosopher Edna Ullmann-Margalit.
In children's literature, Shira Geffen presents "No Entry for Monsters: Stories from the Children of Kfar Aza and Nirim," an illustrated collection based on stories from children displaced after the October 7th massacre. Geffen gathered stories from children aged 5 to 9 who were relocated to Kibbutz Shapaim and later from Nirim. The book, illustrated by Einat Tsarfati and David Polonsky, features imaginative tales that address fear and trauma alongside solidarity and family bonds, including stories by young authors Roi Efrat, Nuri Shlomo Rahamim, and Neta Boltansky.