2018 Ministry of Culture Prize for Debut Literature

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Idit, a polyglot and literary translator, falls in love with Halimi, a magnetic and philandering magazine editor. Their affair finds its footing in the dance clubs of Tel Aviv, and their devotion is fueled by the alcohol and drugs that accompany their wild nights out.

But Halimi cannot keep himself from straying. Idit proposes an open marriage to try and save what they've built. In the midst of a full-blown marital crisis, they take their daughter Lily and escape Tel Aviv, moving to the small seaside town of Atlit.

Desperate to reconnect, Idit and Halimi leave Lily with her grandparents for a weekend and take a psychedelic trip down memory lane. But instead of lovemaking, Idit stumbles upon an ancient spring near the ruins of a Crusader fortress, where she falls back in time, right into the arms of Jean D’Ibelin, a French Crusader knight.

She has traveled to the year 1240, the year one of the most successful Crusades in history. As her relationship with Sir Jean starts to deepen, Idit begins to regularly visit the distant past. Their delicate affair unfolds in parallel with the story of her relationship with Halimi, and she is forced to confront the true and deep meaning of the multiplicity of love.

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Rights Sold:

US: Union Square (NA)

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Reviews:

"What makes the novel impressive is the exposure of the similarities between human relationships everywhere." —2018 Ministry of Culture Prize for Debut Literature committee