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| After integrating with my husband's Israeli family, I realized that communication and empathy may not always be possible through conventional dialogue. Fear and dismissal seem to dominate the interactions with my in-laws and I consequently decided to speak to them in a more creative way. As of 2008, I completed what has become the first in a series of works of fiction based on much of my experience working in the Middle East with torture survivors. Beyond the mere relegation of experience, I tried to explore the social invention itself, in an attempt to bridge what I perceive as an inherent sociopolitical divide everywhere. Examining torment and recovery, pretense and altruism, the narrative delves into the heart of the most shared of human experiences while simultaneously symbolizing the respective spiritual differences between those who suffer and those who inflict suffering. |
An exploration of suffering through the challenges of trauma. Sahnan is a prosperous and self-determined Israeli who is unexpectedly pulled into the throes of his country's war. Now, at the mercy of his ordeal, he must face not only the savagery inflicted upon himself and his family, but a complete metamorphosis of his most fundamental ideals as he is reunited with his dispossessed brother and sister-in-law who have taken up allegiance on the other side. Set in the near future, the book contains scenes of graphic violence and adult content.
Sahnan's struggle continues as he adjusts to life as a survivor, exploring the broad spectrum of recovery and trauma. Set against the aberrations of grief, Sahnan attempts to comprehend his future as he is forced to re-evaluate notions of self-reliance and immunity that he has held for decades. Detailing the grueling struggle for rehabilitation, the book explores the subtleties of human potential and forgiveness amidst the demands of a world wrought with subterfuge and pretense.
My husband and I have, for the last two years, been heavily involved in the production of an autobiographical film detailing the year of torture and ill-treatment my husband suffered at the hands of the Israeli government for refusing the compulsory military service of the country. For the first time, we hope to bring to the American populace a window into life as an Israeli Conscientious Objector and the trials of upholding justice and equality in a region consumed with paranoia and hostility.
With respect to my personal privacy, you may only order these books directly from the publisher or from me personally.