Review: The Almond Tree.

• Book: The Almond Tree.
  

• Author: Michelle Cohen Corasanti.

• Publisher: Finger Print Publication House.

• Category: Fiction.

• Rating: *****

• The book:-

Against a background torn from the pages of today’s headlines, The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti recasts the Palestinians in Israel and Gaza, a people frequently in the news but often misrepresented and deeply misunderstood. 

• In My View…

I began reading this book while I was simultaneously preparing for my exams. I had initially thought of reviewing the book once the exams got over but the curiosity didn’t let me keep the book in the shelf of new arrivals. Hence, pledging to only read the first five stories, I began the journey of reading The Almond Tree and ended up reading entire book in just two weeks! It introduces seven characters – Mama, Baba, Hani, Fadi, Ahmed, Abbas and Amal. 

The book gets a story of a family victimized to terrific situations in Israel. The story begins on a powerful note. The happy times of the family start deteriorating, beginning with the death of little Amal in a very aweful incident. The family then shifts to Egypt as the soldiers announce a curfew. The cultural differences, the variety in places, landscape, people, etcetera has been mentioned by the authoress in a very interesting manner.  Ahmed being the elder son tries to handle his family appropriately in every situation that they accost. 

• Author Michelle Cohen Corasanti.

While the family celebrates Ahmed’s twelfth birthday, the army intervenes. His father gets arrested on the charges of storing arms and ammunitions illegally. The family is then thrown out of the house and the house is blasted where in Sara, Ahmed’s sister dies. Sara is then cremated in the ground close to the Almond Tree by Ahmed and Abbas. Uncle Kamaal then gets the family a tent which provides a shelter to them. Later, Uncle Kamaal also gets arrested. Meanwhile a barber released from the jail, gives Abbas details about his father’s whereabouts.

Every page and part is fascinating. This book truly catches heart and soul. I’ve read several books so-far but The Almond Tree is really different and remarkable. Vocabulary used is also good and comprehensible. The chapters too aren’t long and so boredom stays miles away while you read it. 

I thought of publishing this review on the occasion of 26^th as this book is really special and off course, I am recommending it to all my readers. Reading this book is equal to experiencing the actual pleasures of literature. This book is a fantastic one to read this year! So, go ahead, quickly place an order for The Almond Tree and enjoy reading it!
                                         
                                                                                                                 - By Suyash Karangutkar.

• This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free books log on to Readers Cosmos