BESTSELLER SINCE PUBLICATION

In his novel THE HOUSE OF RAJANI, Alon Hilu, interweaves two diaries written in 1895 – one by a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, the other by a 27 year-old Polish-born Zionist. While Hilu’s Jewish protagonist focuses on acquiring fertile lands for the Jewish people and ladies for himself, the Palestinian boy struggles with fierce, dark, detailed visions of the region’s future. He predicts the take-over of the land by massive Jewish immigration, the founding of Tel Aviv on his ancestors’ estates, and the tragedies awaiting the two peoples. The story traces how the Zionist gradually take over the boy’s family’s possessions, including a decaying manor house located exactly where the three elegant Azrieli Towers stand today in the east of Tel Aviv. In the book, Hilu pokes painfully at some foundational myths.

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Rights Sold:

France: Editions du Seuil; Germany: Beck Verlag; Holland, Ambo/Anthos; Israel: Yediot/Miskal; Italy: Einaudi; Portugal: Quidnovi; UK: Harvill;

Film Option: Riki Shelach

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Reviews:

“The House of Rajani is a surprising and excellent novel, positioning Alon Hilu well within the first rank of the important Israeli literature.” – Ynet

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“This is an important, great book, and I assume it will be much discussed in the future.” – Haaretz Weekly Book Review (front page)

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“The most attractive young author around… The reviews danced in praise of him; in literary circles Hilu was marked as the next great hope; David Grossman called to offer his compliments. Now, with his new novel, The House of Rajani, Hilu is again taking the reader rafting in a raging river, faraway from 2008.” – Yediot Ahronot

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“This historical novel, based on authentic documents, spectacularly recreates what life was like for the Jews of Jaffa in the late 19th century, as well as life at the estate of the sheikh that gives the book its title.” – Neri Livneh, Ha’aretz