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Ever Land
'Ambitious and complex but handled with impressive ease' ROSE TREMAIN
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.
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.
Hardcover
First published July 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
July 19, 2026
I flew through this book - a powerful novel, written with graceful eloquence. The tragedy of the story is its remarkable prescience; Abdelnoor's story is set in the early 2000s, and clearly draws on her own experiences of living in Palestine.
Abdelnoor delivers - without preaching - a moral and historical education and, in the same stroke, a literary masterpiece.
If there has ever been evidence of the power of stories to change hearts and minds, this is it.
Abdelnoor delivers - without preaching - a moral and historical education and, in the same stroke, a literary masterpiece.
If there has ever been evidence of the power of stories to change hearts and minds, this is it.
September 2, 2026
A poignant depiction of life in Israel and Palestine, masterfully told by the author who draws on her lived experience. It is impossible not to cry whilst reading this book. The horrors of the genocide on the Palestinian people are told in a tangible, human way, and Dinah and Saffa’s stories are ones that stay with the reader long after they have finished the novel.
July 23, 2026
This is an amazing book (I read it twice)
There are two sides to every story and Amy Abdelnoor masterfully puts herself on the other side to tell this heartbreaking tale. She turns a conflict, where you are instructed to take a side, into something with humanity.
The emotional intelligence of this story is something you can never get from only reading articles, looking at maps or wading through the definitive historical tome on Israel and Palestine.
Whether this cause interests you or not this book is beautiful. Short chapters, poetic prose, a coming of age story and a ghost keep you reading and wanting more (and then you will be invested in the Israel/Palestine problem).
I think this will win prizes. It should win prizes. It’s a book I will think about for a very long time.
There are two sides to every story and Amy Abdelnoor masterfully puts herself on the other side to tell this heartbreaking tale. She turns a conflict, where you are instructed to take a side, into something with humanity.
The emotional intelligence of this story is something you can never get from only reading articles, looking at maps or wading through the definitive historical tome on Israel and Palestine.
Whether this cause interests you or not this book is beautiful. Short chapters, poetic prose, a coming of age story and a ghost keep you reading and wanting more (and then you will be invested in the Israel/Palestine problem).
I think this will win prizes. It should win prizes. It’s a book I will think about for a very long time.
July 14, 2026
This book is beautifully written: it vividly brings to life the cleverly conceived characters in the story, as well as the history and the present reality of Palestine and Israel. Once started, it is impossible to put down. Once finished, it is impossible to forget what you have learnt.
September 2, 2026
One of the best novels I’ve ever read. It made me cry, which is a rare occurrence in reading for me.
Masterful intertwining of intimate themes of youthful desire and mother-daughter relationships with broader concepts of freedom and terror. A beautiful and important book.
Some quotes I saved:
“They are stitching the stories of their homeland into the fabric of their exile, the threads throb with their life blood.”
“Places that people walk past or forget about or choose not to see.”
“The sea breeze plays with the girls’ hair, dancing it into calligraphic black swirls, crisp in the bright light, as if it is writing their names against the sun.”
“For now, the fear dominates the fury of injustice.”
“Time and space feel filmy now. Together we must patchwork a story that makes sense…”
“You wake and stare into the sky behind the open window and wonder: to whom do the stars belong?”
“If I do not dream, then really, I am nothing. We survive through our dreams and hopes of a better future. Without dreams we are truly defeated.”
Masterful intertwining of intimate themes of youthful desire and mother-daughter relationships with broader concepts of freedom and terror. A beautiful and important book.
Some quotes I saved:
“They are stitching the stories of their homeland into the fabric of their exile, the threads throb with their life blood.”
“Places that people walk past or forget about or choose not to see.”
“The sea breeze plays with the girls’ hair, dancing it into calligraphic black swirls, crisp in the bright light, as if it is writing their names against the sun.”
“For now, the fear dominates the fury of injustice.”
“Time and space feel filmy now. Together we must patchwork a story that makes sense…”
“You wake and stare into the sky behind the open window and wonder: to whom do the stars belong?”
“If I do not dream, then really, I am nothing. We survive through our dreams and hopes of a better future. Without dreams we are truly defeated.”
August 21, 2026
I couldn't put this book down whilst reading it and now I can't stop thinking about it. Such tender writing and rounded perspectives from all sides of the occupation of Palestine. The juxtaposition of the lives of Dinah and Munir was stark yet they came together in common ground, and the tension towards the end was expertly created. This author deserves prizes!
August 12, 2026
Really beautiful writing. I would read this again which is not a feeling I get often with books.
The character descriptions and emotions were so vivid and I also think that to write from these two opposing perspectives must require a huge amount of talent and a kind of understanding of people’s emotions that I think is very rare.
The character descriptions and emotions were so vivid and I also think that to write from these two opposing perspectives must require a huge amount of talent and a kind of understanding of people’s emotions that I think is very rare.
July 27, 2026
This is a really good book and a fitting reminder to us all of the inhuman nature of the Israeli state since its fraudulent inception.
August 13, 2026
Although a novel it reflects the reality so well of what is going on in the conflict in the Middle East and the injustice and cruelty that goes on day after day.
An emotional rollercoaster of a read but such a wonderful book full of emotion and insight.
An emotional rollercoaster of a read but such a wonderful book full of emotion and insight.
July 29, 2026
Beautifully written, lyrical, haunting novel. Sensitively portrayal of a war zone.
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.
August 22, 2026
Beautifully written, like a wash of emotions painted on every page….grief, anguish and hope and love sear through the story…the pain of the cruelty and dehumanisation of the Occupation wrapped around the moving story of two young people who long to live more freely - the Israeli girl imprisoned by the Occupation too, albeit in more subtle ways, and the Palestinian boy in the all too literal imprisonment reserved for Palestinians.
August 18, 2026
My favourite book of the year so far. Thank god I picked it up at random in the library!
August 7, 2026
Perhaps the novel’s greatest strength is how its fictional lens makes the complex realities of Palestine and Israel deeply accessible. Through her beautiful storytelling, Abdelnoor takes us on a journey that helps us to understand why the middle east is where it is today.
August 2, 2026
Highly recommend, for deep insight. A book that will not be forgotten easily. Very well written. Gives human perspective. Could not put it down.
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.
July 26, 2026
🇵🇸 💔 🤲
July 26, 2026
A beautifully crafted and heartbreaking book. Essential reading for any sentient being troubled by what is currently happening in the Middle East.
July 21, 2026
This sensitive story, narrated by a compelling spirit, throws you into the midst of what it means to love, to believe in your own sense of self, to understand where you come from and what home means.
I loved it, was heart broken by it, and could relate to the complexity of growing up in a challenging world created by others.
I loved it, was heart broken by it, and could relate to the complexity of growing up in a challenging world created by others.
September 1, 2026
In combining readability with the capacity to meaningfully depict the brutal realities of life under occupation, ‘Ever Land’ matches (and at points even exceeds) ‘Mornings in Jenin’ - which, hitherto, has been my go-to recommendation for this sort of book. Amy Abdelnoor really cleverly weaves in vignettes of oppression, and I found that the interspersing of Dinah’s life with Safa’s memories was subtly done (at points straying on the forced, with Dinah’s cocktails / Nur’s thirst being probably the most egregious example - but always managing to stay on the right side of the line). Likewise, I appreciated how Abdelnoor rarely identified explicitly who was doing the oppressing and who was being oppressed - allowing the everyday reader to focus on the unjustifiability of the acts themselves, rather than having their views pre-formed by existing attachments. In that, Abdelnoor enabled the Palestinian cause to speak for itself - which it is more than capable of doing. All of that combined in a book that I enjoyed, which is remarkable when you consider that (without trying to be reductive) much of ‘Ever Land’ is a story about a ghost.
All the same, you can only go so far with a story that is a vehicle for a metanarrative (rather being sufficiently load bearing itself). The plot is fairly limited, so ‘Ever Land’ feels fairly slow until the signifiers that this is about something more begin to snowball. Similarly, I saw each twist coming from a mile off. Necessarily, this leads to characters who are cut-outs rather than being fully formed - and whilst Eban comes to personify the occupation, ‘Ever Land’ hints towards interesting concepts like a Frantz Fanon-esque enquiry into what psychological effect occupation has on the occupier without ever really developing them. Yet above all, upon finishing ‘Ever Land’ I felt a sense of loss. This book is a pipe dream, and ultimately feels slightly insubstantial for it. ‘Ever Land’ asks the reader to imagine what if, but for a moment, the settlers in the West Bank could feel the pain of the people they have displaced. What if indeed - but in the meantime, the checkpoints remain; the settlements expand; and the rubble of Gaza grows.
All the same, you can only go so far with a story that is a vehicle for a metanarrative (rather being sufficiently load bearing itself). The plot is fairly limited, so ‘Ever Land’ feels fairly slow until the signifiers that this is about something more begin to snowball. Similarly, I saw each twist coming from a mile off. Necessarily, this leads to characters who are cut-outs rather than being fully formed - and whilst Eban comes to personify the occupation, ‘Ever Land’ hints towards interesting concepts like a Frantz Fanon-esque enquiry into what psychological effect occupation has on the occupier without ever really developing them. Yet above all, upon finishing ‘Ever Land’ I felt a sense of loss. This book is a pipe dream, and ultimately feels slightly insubstantial for it. ‘Ever Land’ asks the reader to imagine what if, but for a moment, the settlers in the West Bank could feel the pain of the people they have displaced. What if indeed - but in the meantime, the checkpoints remain; the settlements expand; and the rubble of Gaza grows.
August 9, 2026
Abdelnoor depicted the challenges Dinah and Safa faced with such insight that I could both identify with and care deeply about each of them. The timely use of flashbacks was effective in providing the context in which to understand these two young women. The author’s skillful use of Dinah’s dreams also helped to clarify the internal conflicts she was experiencing in regards to her feelings about Israel and its inhumane, even at times brutal treatment of the Palestinians. The lesser characters including Dinah’s mother Ruth, her Israeli boyfriend Eban, a Palestinian young man Munir, and others were given enough attention to allow readers to readily grasp their motivations as well.
Those who are unfamiliar with life for the Palestinians under Israeli occupation in the early 2000’s will learn a great deal. The Self Defense Force’s employment of forced displacement through the destruction of homes, intimidation and arbitrary detentions at security checkpoints which could prevent Palestinians from getting to school and necessary medical care, the lack of water and electricity for Palestinian homes, and much more are presented over the course of the novel. In addition to the fear that these cruel practices cause the ways in which grief is a daily and pervasive part of Palestinian lives is powerfully portrayed.
While Dinah’s grief over the death of her father before the novel began was noted, I wish it had been explored in more depth. Had the author done so this teen’s ambivalence towards her mother and step father would have been more understandable.
Translating chapter titles from Arabic into English gave me a sense of the Palestinian culture. But there was a significant amount of the language in the narrative that was neither translated nor explained in the context in which it was deployed. Terms of endearment, food, and many other phrases were utilized as part of the author’s efforts to enhance the authenticity of the story. I do wish that the publisher had either translated these terms or provided a glossary for the readers.
I offer a warning to potential readers of EL: Abdelnoor is so successful at depicting these difficult circumstances that it is an intense experience. I began to feel a sense of foreboding about 3/4 of the way through it. While its tragic ending is not surprising, it is still deeply troubling.
For those who are interested I can recommend two other books which shed more light on how Palestinians living in Gaza had been affected by life under occupation before the current war. These are Light in Gaza and Gaza Writes Back. Although I recommend both highly, neither is easy to read
Those who are unfamiliar with life for the Palestinians under Israeli occupation in the early 2000’s will learn a great deal. The Self Defense Force’s employment of forced displacement through the destruction of homes, intimidation and arbitrary detentions at security checkpoints which could prevent Palestinians from getting to school and necessary medical care, the lack of water and electricity for Palestinian homes, and much more are presented over the course of the novel. In addition to the fear that these cruel practices cause the ways in which grief is a daily and pervasive part of Palestinian lives is powerfully portrayed.
While Dinah’s grief over the death of her father before the novel began was noted, I wish it had been explored in more depth. Had the author done so this teen’s ambivalence towards her mother and step father would have been more understandable.
Translating chapter titles from Arabic into English gave me a sense of the Palestinian culture. But there was a significant amount of the language in the narrative that was neither translated nor explained in the context in which it was deployed. Terms of endearment, food, and many other phrases were utilized as part of the author’s efforts to enhance the authenticity of the story. I do wish that the publisher had either translated these terms or provided a glossary for the readers.
I offer a warning to potential readers of EL: Abdelnoor is so successful at depicting these difficult circumstances that it is an intense experience. I began to feel a sense of foreboding about 3/4 of the way through it. While its tragic ending is not surprising, it is still deeply troubling.
For those who are interested I can recommend two other books which shed more light on how Palestinians living in Gaza had been affected by life under occupation before the current war. These are Light in Gaza and Gaza Writes Back. Although I recommend both highly, neither is easy to read
September 20, 2026
Wow.
I finished Ever Land and genuinely just had to sit there for a minute. Wow.
I have read some incredible stories this year, but this is the first book in a few months that has been truly unputdownable. I have had plenty of propulsive reads, but this is the kind of book I would have cancelled plans to keep reading.
I initially picked it up because I liked the cover. I tend to go into books as blind as possible, so I didn't properly read the blurb, just gave it a quick skim to see whether it sounded interesting. I took it home from the library and then, criminally, let this absolute masterpiece sit there waiting for me while I focused my attention on other books.
This is a stunning and heartbreaking story. The prose is poetic and raw, with a vulnerability to the writing that makes everything feel incredibly immediate.
I don't want to say too much about the story because I really do think this is one worth discovering for yourself, but it follows Safa, a young Palestinian girl who died thirty-three years earlier, alongside Dinah, a Jewish girl who has recently moved to Israel with her family. Safa's sections are narrated in the first person, while Dinah's are told in the third, and I loved the way Abdelnoor moves between them.
Something else that struck me was the title. When I first picked up Ever Land, it immediately made me think of Peter Pan and Neverland. Barrie's fairytale preserves childhood and the idea of children who never grow up. Here, Abdelnoor explores something much more painful: childhoods that are not preserved but taken away. These are children who see and experience things no child should have to. It is heartbreaking. It aches.
The novel explores grief, displacement, tragedy, politics and, above all, the human cost of being caught in a world shaped by conflict. While it is always clear that Dinah and Safa's circumstances, fears and experiences are very different, Abdelnoor also finds points of connection between them. Both are young girls trying to understand a world they have inherited rather than chosen.
There is so much humanity in this book. So much loss. So much longing for home, belonging and the people we love.
I am genuinely sorry that I left this sitting unread for as long as I did, but I am so incredibly glad that I finally picked it up. I finished it feeling completely wrung out and deeply moved.
Six stars, because Ever Land broke my book scale along with my heart.
I finished Ever Land and genuinely just had to sit there for a minute. Wow.
I have read some incredible stories this year, but this is the first book in a few months that has been truly unputdownable. I have had plenty of propulsive reads, but this is the kind of book I would have cancelled plans to keep reading.
I initially picked it up because I liked the cover. I tend to go into books as blind as possible, so I didn't properly read the blurb, just gave it a quick skim to see whether it sounded interesting. I took it home from the library and then, criminally, let this absolute masterpiece sit there waiting for me while I focused my attention on other books.
This is a stunning and heartbreaking story. The prose is poetic and raw, with a vulnerability to the writing that makes everything feel incredibly immediate.
I don't want to say too much about the story because I really do think this is one worth discovering for yourself, but it follows Safa, a young Palestinian girl who died thirty-three years earlier, alongside Dinah, a Jewish girl who has recently moved to Israel with her family. Safa's sections are narrated in the first person, while Dinah's are told in the third, and I loved the way Abdelnoor moves between them.
Something else that struck me was the title. When I first picked up Ever Land, it immediately made me think of Peter Pan and Neverland. Barrie's fairytale preserves childhood and the idea of children who never grow up. Here, Abdelnoor explores something much more painful: childhoods that are not preserved but taken away. These are children who see and experience things no child should have to. It is heartbreaking. It aches.
The novel explores grief, displacement, tragedy, politics and, above all, the human cost of being caught in a world shaped by conflict. While it is always clear that Dinah and Safa's circumstances, fears and experiences are very different, Abdelnoor also finds points of connection between them. Both are young girls trying to understand a world they have inherited rather than chosen.
There is so much humanity in this book. So much loss. So much longing for home, belonging and the people we love.
I am genuinely sorry that I left this sitting unread for as long as I did, but I am so incredibly glad that I finally picked it up. I finished it feeling completely wrung out and deeply moved.
Six stars, because Ever Land broke my book scale along with my heart.
August 13, 2026
Ever Land is the most thrilling novel I've encountered in years.
It's an intimate read, one that focuses meticulously on detail without ever becoming tedious. (I was reminded of my student days in Paris and the excitement of discovering Proust.)
The language is delicious, the characters unquestionably real.
Dinah is instantly engaging. Still grieving for her dead father, she is uprooted from her London home (by an ambitious and controlling step-father) and moved to the "disturbing quiet of the community" in an Israeli settlement.
Here, she faces the suffocation and restrictions of a society she is forced to become part of - and soon alienates herself from.
Her life is transformed by the introduction of Safa and the literally haunting story of a young Palestinian girl, stuck in a heartbreaking limbo from which only Dinah can free her.
The ease with which Dinah and Safa coexist, and the subtle blending of mundane and supernatural, make the whole story feel grounded in reality.
My favourite element is the tension between Jewish Dinah and Palestinian Munir. The will-they, won't-they dilemma is almost unbearable.
It's a beautifully understated relationship - and incredibly erotic. I wanted to tear down that fence that separated them!
Grief is everywhere. Dinah's dead father, Safa's lost sister. It pervades the entire stolen land. I cried many times throughout, and even now that the story has ended.
Ever Land is a desperately important book and its release is perfectly timed. Sickened by the horrors now impossible to conceal, the public is at last more curious about the Palestinian tragedy and open to the truth.
Amy Abdelnoor breaks through moral blindness and systematic conditioning. She exposes uncomfortable facts: land theft, the cruel reality of apartheid, and the long planned erasure of an indigenous population.
Ever Land is a powerful example of how storytelling can breach barriers of belief in a way that nonfiction cannot.
The acknowledgements that follow the story are especially moving, showing how deeply invested the author is in this tragic land.
Ever Land will stay with me as a lived experience. Thank you, Amy Abdelnoor, for your magnificent book. I shall return to it many times.
It's an intimate read, one that focuses meticulously on detail without ever becoming tedious. (I was reminded of my student days in Paris and the excitement of discovering Proust.)
The language is delicious, the characters unquestionably real.
Dinah is instantly engaging. Still grieving for her dead father, she is uprooted from her London home (by an ambitious and controlling step-father) and moved to the "disturbing quiet of the community" in an Israeli settlement.
Here, she faces the suffocation and restrictions of a society she is forced to become part of - and soon alienates herself from.
Her life is transformed by the introduction of Safa and the literally haunting story of a young Palestinian girl, stuck in a heartbreaking limbo from which only Dinah can free her.
The ease with which Dinah and Safa coexist, and the subtle blending of mundane and supernatural, make the whole story feel grounded in reality.
My favourite element is the tension between Jewish Dinah and Palestinian Munir. The will-they, won't-they dilemma is almost unbearable.
It's a beautifully understated relationship - and incredibly erotic. I wanted to tear down that fence that separated them!
Grief is everywhere. Dinah's dead father, Safa's lost sister. It pervades the entire stolen land. I cried many times throughout, and even now that the story has ended.
Ever Land is a desperately important book and its release is perfectly timed. Sickened by the horrors now impossible to conceal, the public is at last more curious about the Palestinian tragedy and open to the truth.
Amy Abdelnoor breaks through moral blindness and systematic conditioning. She exposes uncomfortable facts: land theft, the cruel reality of apartheid, and the long planned erasure of an indigenous population.
Ever Land is a powerful example of how storytelling can breach barriers of belief in a way that nonfiction cannot.
The acknowledgements that follow the story are especially moving, showing how deeply invested the author is in this tragic land.
Ever Land will stay with me as a lived experience. Thank you, Amy Abdelnoor, for your magnificent book. I shall return to it many times.
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.
October 12, 2026
🇵🇸🍉
A powerful, thought-provoking premise that gets slightly weighed down by its own scope.
Ever Land follows Dinah as she moves from London to Israel in 2000 to join her mother and stepfather on a settlement. She is accompanied by Safa, the ghost of a Palestinian woman killed by Israeli forces. Guided by Safa, Dinah is drawn into uncovering the story of Safa's sister and the broader history and suffering of the Palestinian people.
The premise of the novel is fascinating, and I found the sections detailing Dinah's integration into life on the settlement particularly compelling. The way the narrative gradually uncovers the history and reality of the Palestinian struggle through Safa’s guidance is handled with real gravity and insight.
However, the novel ultimately tries to do a bit too much, which was its main drawback for me. It attempts to introduce so many different plot points that it occasionally distracts from the core emotional and historical narrative at the heart of the book.
Overall, this is by no means a bad book—I can certainly see why it has received so many positive reviews, and it’s one I would still recommend. While it wasn't a total hit for me simply because of its cluttered scope, it remains a worthwhile and impactful read.
A powerful, thought-provoking premise that gets slightly weighed down by its own scope.
Ever Land follows Dinah as she moves from London to Israel in 2000 to join her mother and stepfather on a settlement. She is accompanied by Safa, the ghost of a Palestinian woman killed by Israeli forces. Guided by Safa, Dinah is drawn into uncovering the story of Safa's sister and the broader history and suffering of the Palestinian people.
The premise of the novel is fascinating, and I found the sections detailing Dinah's integration into life on the settlement particularly compelling. The way the narrative gradually uncovers the history and reality of the Palestinian struggle through Safa’s guidance is handled with real gravity and insight.
However, the novel ultimately tries to do a bit too much, which was its main drawback for me. It attempts to introduce so many different plot points that it occasionally distracts from the core emotional and historical narrative at the heart of the book.
Overall, this is by no means a bad book—I can certainly see why it has received so many positive reviews, and it’s one I would still recommend. While it wasn't a total hit for me simply because of its cluttered scope, it remains a worthwhile and impactful read.
July 12, 2026
This book is simply extraordinary. It is one of those rare novels that reaches deep into the human heart and stays with you long after you've turned the final page.
Although it is a work of fiction, every event it portrays reflects experiences that have been lived by countless people on the other side. Through its characters, the novel gives voice to stories of loss, resilience, love, and survival that are too often overlooked or forgotten.
There were chapters I had to pause after reading—not because they weren't compelling, but because they felt so real and carried such immense grief. The writing draws you in completely, making you feel as though you are living every moment alongside the characters. Their hopes, fears, and heartbreak become your own.
As with the best novels, you form a deep connection with the characters. You find yourself questioning humanity, justice, and how such suffering has been allowed to continue.
This is more than a novel. It is an invitation to bear witness. This book offers a deeply human perspective that is impossible to ignore.
A truly unforgettable read, and one I believe everyone who values our shared humanity should experience.
Although it is a work of fiction, every event it portrays reflects experiences that have been lived by countless people on the other side. Through its characters, the novel gives voice to stories of loss, resilience, love, and survival that are too often overlooked or forgotten.
There were chapters I had to pause after reading—not because they weren't compelling, but because they felt so real and carried such immense grief. The writing draws you in completely, making you feel as though you are living every moment alongside the characters. Their hopes, fears, and heartbreak become your own.
As with the best novels, you form a deep connection with the characters. You find yourself questioning humanity, justice, and how such suffering has been allowed to continue.
This is more than a novel. It is an invitation to bear witness. This book offers a deeply human perspective that is impossible to ignore.
A truly unforgettable read, and one I believe everyone who values our shared humanity should experience.
July 20, 2026
I loved this story - I decided to take it slow but didn’t expect it to be an incredible story of love, mixed with coming of age, social awakening and young activism. It is set against the backdrop of a place you can feel through the pages, one that will take older readers back a quarter of a century to dial up internet and text messages. The author creates the space and invites you to sit with difficult feelings - grief - injustice - insecurity - fear - self doubt - the way we are all implicated by violent expansionist powers - the dehumanising effect of conflict. Throughout the story carries you forward and builds pace slowly but surely. I was transported to the places she describes, sights smells sounds. I asked myself what I would have done in the various characters’ places, but the call for empathy was gentle and never feels forced or intrusive. You can hear the lived experience in her prose - poetic in so many places - and the way she honours the many real lives who shaped this novel. A novel that will shape your views without a doubt.
October 12, 2026
This is a story that really stays with you. It's two stories at once: Dinah, a Jewish teenager who moves from London to Israel with her family and struggles to settle, and Safa, a Palestinian girl who was killed on the same land decades earlier and now watches from a kind of limbo. The chapters move between the two, and between past and present, before gradually coming together in a way that really pays off.
The novel describes vividly what life's like under occupation: checkpoints, demolished houses, and the constant background of fear and restriction. And it's this detail that gives the love story at the heart of the book its weight. The romance never feels sentimental, because you understand exactly what the two people are up against.
There is also a mystery running through the whole thing. I won't say more than that, but it kept me turning pages right to the end, and the resolution is both satisfying and moving. Highly recommended.
The novel describes vividly what life's like under occupation: checkpoints, demolished houses, and the constant background of fear and restriction. And it's this detail that gives the love story at the heart of the book its weight. The romance never feels sentimental, because you understand exactly what the two people are up against.
There is also a mystery running through the whole thing. I won't say more than that, but it kept me turning pages right to the end, and the resolution is both satisfying and moving. Highly recommended.
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