by עמוס עוז
First published 2018
In these eight stories set in Israeli kibbutzim during the 1960s, community members face the constant tension between their utopian ideals and harsh realities. The protagonists work their communal farms while jackals howl beyond the perimeter fences, a reminder of the hostile environment surrounding their settlements. Political pressures from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seep into every aspect of kibbutz life, yet the characters' actions stem equally from personal traditions, fantasies, and beliefs. A farmer might pause in his work to contemplate the sounds from across the border. A woman balances collective responsibilities with private desires. Children grow up knowing that their playground has boundaries marked by danger. Each character struggles with the gap between the kibbutz movement's promises of a perfect society and the complex human emotions that resist easy categorization. The stories reveal how external political forces shape but cannot fully explain individual behavior, as hope persists despite the reality that neither personal dreams nor political aspirations find complete fulfillment.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, community-dynamics, idealism-vs-reality
Setting: Israel, Kibbutzim
Period: 1960s
319 pages · Paperback · Suhrkamp