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Ever Land
Not yet published
Expected 9 Jul 26'Cleverly conceived and brilliantly engaging . . . a powerful novel. Read this' PRISCILLA MORRIS
'Ambitious and complex but handled with impressive ease' ROSE TREMAIN
'A brave book ... It rings with truth' ELIZABETH LAIRD
'Piercing, personal, necessary' COLUM MCCANN
It is the year 2000 when Dinah, a Jewish teenager from London, arrives in Israel with her family. Still reeling from the death of her beloved dad, the idea of having to start all over again daunts her. Dinah isn’t quite sure what to make of this seemingly pristine her new life seems soulless and suffocating.
Another teenager, Safa, watches Dinah settle in. A fourteen-year-old Palestinian who was shot and killed decades ago in the Six Day War, Safa is caught in a limbo which she calls the ‘In-Between’. She is unable to fully pass on without knowing what happened to her younger sister, Nur, who is still alive somewhere. Thirty-three years after her death, the possibility of finding her is suddenly within reach – but she needs Dinah to help her.
Alternating between past and present, and between Safa and Dinah, Ever Land is a gripping and powerful story that sheds light on the ongoing occupation of Palestine. It is a tale of belonging and identity, of devastation and displacement and – ultimately – of the enduring universality of humanity and love.
'Ambitious and complex but handled with impressive ease' ROSE TREMAIN
'A brave book ... It rings with truth' ELIZABETH LAIRD
'Piercing, personal, necessary' COLUM MCCANN
It is the year 2000 when Dinah, a Jewish teenager from London, arrives in Israel with her family. Still reeling from the death of her beloved dad, the idea of having to start all over again daunts her. Dinah isn’t quite sure what to make of this seemingly pristine her new life seems soulless and suffocating.
Another teenager, Safa, watches Dinah settle in. A fourteen-year-old Palestinian who was shot and killed decades ago in the Six Day War, Safa is caught in a limbo which she calls the ‘In-Between’. She is unable to fully pass on without knowing what happened to her younger sister, Nur, who is still alive somewhere. Thirty-three years after her death, the possibility of finding her is suddenly within reach – but she needs Dinah to help her.
Alternating between past and present, and between Safa and Dinah, Ever Land is a gripping and powerful story that sheds light on the ongoing occupation of Palestine. It is a tale of belonging and identity, of devastation and displacement and – ultimately – of the enduring universality of humanity and love.
396 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Amy Abdelnoor's debut novel, Ever Land, tells the story of two teenagers. Dinah, a Jewish teenager living in London in 2000 and Sadia, caught up in the six day war decades before. This is a story about Palestine, but avoids the obvious pitfalls of becoming a didactic novel by focussing on it's two central women.
Abdelnoor writes well, and she brings the emotional plight of both characters to vivid life. It is a gripping tale, fully engaging, and I read this one connected to, and familiar with it's characters by novels end.
The subject of Palestine threatens to overwhelm any novel written about it - and Abdelnoor treads the fine line and keeps it on the right side. I really enjoyed this tale, and was moved at the end.
An early version of this novel was shortlisted for the 2023 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Abdelnoor writes well, and she brings the emotional plight of both characters to vivid life. It is a gripping tale, fully engaging, and I read this one connected to, and familiar with it's characters by novels end.
The subject of Palestine threatens to overwhelm any novel written about it - and Abdelnoor treads the fine line and keeps it on the right side. I really enjoyed this tale, and was moved at the end.
An early version of this novel was shortlisted for the 2023 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
April 17, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Cornerstone for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Ever Land weaves together the stories of two young women, bound together by place, pulled apart by time and the brutal occupation of Palestine. Safa serves as an insistent yet invisible narrator - demanding Dinah and the reader not to look away from the horror of the ongoing Nakba against the Palestinian people. Dinah’s slow awakening to consciousness of the apartheid state is articulated in the descriptions of the sparse and sterile landscape of the settlement she lives in. This is a commendable debut, and I’m looking forward to reading more by Amy Abdelnoor.
Ever Land weaves together the stories of two young women, bound together by place, pulled apart by time and the brutal occupation of Palestine. Safa serves as an insistent yet invisible narrator - demanding Dinah and the reader not to look away from the horror of the ongoing Nakba against the Palestinian people. Dinah’s slow awakening to consciousness of the apartheid state is articulated in the descriptions of the sparse and sterile landscape of the settlement she lives in. This is a commendable debut, and I’m looking forward to reading more by Amy Abdelnoor.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Set in the 2000s, This is the story of two young women separated by decades, borders, and a conflict neither of them chose, yet both are irrevocably drawn into.
When Dinah moves from London to Israel with her family, she struggles to adapt to her new life. Everything is unfamiliar: the gated community they want her to call home, the expectation of military service after school. The place is immaculate, but something about it seems false. It feels suffocating.
Meanwhile, a young Palestinian girl watches. Killed decades ago during the Six Day War, Safa is caught in limbo, unable to pass on until she discovers what became of her little sister.
Through images and dreams, Safa begins to open Dinah’s eyes to the injustices of this society - Israel’s military occupation of Palestine, and the horrors that the Palestinian people endure while the Israeli communities are kept pristine.
~
Thought-provoking, eye-opening, powerful, and beautifully written, this is the kind of book that stays with you long after you turn the final page. Exploring identity, loss, displacement, and the human cost of conflict, the novel draws the reader in from the outset, finding the perfect balance between lyricism and stark realism.
What I found most compelling was the way the novel intertwines deeply human stories with larger political realities. Complex issues are given real emotional weight, and through Dinah and Safa, we see just how different life can be on either side of a checkpoint. Safa's presence adds a haunting quality to the narrative, while Dinah’s provides a grounding perspective.
Amy Abdelnoor writes with eloquence and compassion, crafting an ambitious and moving novel that encourages reflection while provoking a profound sense of injustice.
A fantastic debut novel - congratulations Amy.
When Dinah moves from London to Israel with her family, she struggles to adapt to her new life. Everything is unfamiliar: the gated community they want her to call home, the expectation of military service after school. The place is immaculate, but something about it seems false. It feels suffocating.
Meanwhile, a young Palestinian girl watches. Killed decades ago during the Six Day War, Safa is caught in limbo, unable to pass on until she discovers what became of her little sister.
Through images and dreams, Safa begins to open Dinah’s eyes to the injustices of this society - Israel’s military occupation of Palestine, and the horrors that the Palestinian people endure while the Israeli communities are kept pristine.
~
Thought-provoking, eye-opening, powerful, and beautifully written, this is the kind of book that stays with you long after you turn the final page. Exploring identity, loss, displacement, and the human cost of conflict, the novel draws the reader in from the outset, finding the perfect balance between lyricism and stark realism.
What I found most compelling was the way the novel intertwines deeply human stories with larger political realities. Complex issues are given real emotional weight, and through Dinah and Safa, we see just how different life can be on either side of a checkpoint. Safa's presence adds a haunting quality to the narrative, while Dinah’s provides a grounding perspective.
Amy Abdelnoor writes with eloquence and compassion, crafting an ambitious and moving novel that encourages reflection while provoking a profound sense of injustice.
A fantastic debut novel - congratulations Amy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ever Land is a brave, beautifully written novel - tender and devastating in equal measure. Through the intertwined voices of Dinah and Safa, Amy Abdelnoor renders Palestinian lives with a clarity and compassion that cannot be looked away from, revealing how history lives inside the everyday and how connection can exist across the most brutal divides. It is an ambitious, assured debut, and I finished it utterly bereft.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews