Sabra Zoo - Softcover

Hiller, Mischa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1846590930 ISBN 13: 9781846590931

Publisher: Telegram Books, 2012

Synopsis

Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book for Europe and South Asia.

"A stunning, defiant debut." Guardian

"Hiller brings to his works not only a craftsman's skill but also a compassion for his characters that proves infectious." Haaretz

"A chilling rites-of-passage novel set in Beirut in 1982 during the killings in the camps."—The Economist

It is the summer of 1982 and Beirut is under siege. Eighteen-year-old Ivan's parents have just been evacuated from the city with other members of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Ivan stays on, interpreting for international medical volunteers in Sabra refugee camp and working undercover for the PLO. Hoping to get closer to Eli, a Norwegian physiotherapist, he helps her treat Youssef, a camp orphan disabled by a cluster bomb. An unexpected friendship develops between the three and things begin to look up.

But events take a nasty turn when the president-elect is assassinated. The Israeli army enters Beirut and surrounds the camp, with Eli and Youssef trapped inside. What happens next makes international headlines and leaves Ivan scrabbling to salvage something positive from the chaos.

Mischa Hiller, of English Palestinian descent, was born in England in 1962 and grew up in London, Dar es Salaam, and Beirut. Mischa won the 2009 European Independent Film Festival script competition for his adaptation of Sabra Zoo. He lives with his family in Cambridge, England.

About this title

About the Author:

Mischa Hiller, of English-Palestinian descent, was born in England in 1962 and grew up in London, Dar es Salaam and Beirut. Sabra Zoo won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in the Europe and South Asia category in 2011. Mischa also won the 2009 European Independent Film Festival script competition for his adaptation of the book. His second novel, Shake Off, was published to critical acclaim in the UK in 2011. He lives with his family in Cambridge.
www.mischahiller.com

Review:

'A stunning, defiant debut' The Guardian 'A chilling rites-of-passage novel set in Beirut in 1982 during the killings in the camps' The Economist 'A moving and haunting novel, a narrative for our tormented times' Fergal Keane 'This darkly humorous, often harrowing novel demonstrates that in the chaos of conflict there are no easy or obvious decisions.' Metro 'A gripping novel about the conflict between personal and political loyalties' Telegraph 'Hauntingly written, with a wonderful touch for human feelings' Daily Mail 'Beautifully told,ambitous and important, this is a debut with something to say.' Ronan Bennett 'Harrowing and heartfelt but never overwrought - Hiller creates a truly terrifying vision of hell - A bold shift into the heart of darkness.' Independent 'Hiller's evocation of the war through a teenager's eyes gives this novel both depth and gravitas - This novel reminds us that even the chaos of war can't thwart the complexities of the human spirit and the mysteries of love.' Literary Review

About this edition

• Publisher: Telegram Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1846590930
• ISBN 13: 9781846590931
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 231