Fate

The paths of two women from different generations cross in this nuanced, heartfelt novel that explores the early days of Israel and its uncertain future.

Following the death of her father, Atara attempts to retrace the footsteps of the wife of his youth, who fought beside him in the underground prior to the founding of the State of Israel. Their encounter upends her life and the life of her family, sparking an uncontrollable cascade of dramatic events.

As the past is brought to light, it illuminates but also casts a pall on the present and the future, confronting each character with questions of fate, control, responsibility, faith, disappointment, and love.Zeruya Shalev was born at Kibbutz Kinneret. She is the author of five previous novels, The Remains of Love, Love Life, Husband and Wife, Thera, and Pain (Other Press, 2019) and a book of poetry and two children’s books. Her work has been translated into twenty-seven languages and won multiple awards, including the Corine International Book Prize, the Welt Literature Award, and the Prix Femina étranger.

Joan­na Chen is a writer and lit­er­ary trans­la­tor from Hebrew to Eng­lish whose trans­la­tions include Agi Mishol’s Less Like a Dove, Yonatan Berg’s Frayed Light (final­ist for the Nation­al Jew­ish Book Awards), and Meir Shalev’s My Wild Gar­den. Her own poet­ry and writ­ing has appeared in the Los Ange­les Review of Books Blog, Mantis, Poet Lore, Consequence, and Nar­ra­tive­ly. She teach­es lit­er­ary trans­la­tion at the Heli­con School of Poet­ry in Tel Aviv.