THE ALMOND TREE by MICHELLE COHEN CORASANTI

I couldn't do Mailbox Monday and I have nothing to read today either till I pick up some books so the Tuesday meme is also being given a miss. 

Won this book on a Goodreads contest and aren't I glad I did. A debut novel from the author it covers the saga of a family at the heart of the Palestinian conflict - a family ostracised, thrown out of their family home and property, punished unfairly for being Palestinian Arabs. 

My knowledge of the conflict is skimpy but like all political conflicts it seems that the average man in the street is the one who is adversely affected. We have a story set from the 1950s to 2010 and shows how despite everything stacked against them, a person can make a difference not just in his life but fortunately for this family for everyone around them.

The family itself is divided on its ideological views but for all its members it is the family unit that is of ultimate importance and priority and everything must be done for the betterment of all. It puts the whole above self - something not seen very often even amongst families today. Ichmad our hero is a very young boy at the onset of the story and through perseverance and unbearable odds is able to make a life for himself. His rags to comparative riches story along with his growing need to make the world more aware of his countryman's problems form the crux of the story.

A true family saga beautifully told.