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In her spirited memoir, A. E. Hayoun paints an eye-opening portrait of immigrating to Israel and building a new life in Israel’s beautiful, controversial, and sometimes hostile Negev desert.

At once a vulnerable narrative of personal experience, The Camel in the Forest is also a remarkable, brief history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Camel in the Forest is A. E. Hayoun’s first-hand account of life in Israel that takes place a few years before and during Operation Guardian of the Walls; the 12-day war that came as the result of terrorist groups Hamas and the Islamic Jihad breaking the permanent ceasefire between Israel and Gaza in 2021.

In a lyrical voice that weaves together authentic experience, historical narrative, and the colorful tapestry of Jewish expression, this courageous collection of true stories brings to life the Jewish homeland of rich history, complex politics, and intricate relationships between cultures that are an unavoidable part of everyday life in Israel and the Middle East.

In the style of Yehuda Amichai and the spirit of Noa Tishby, The Camel in the Forest is inspired by ancient Judaic texts, the unique beauty of the Negev desert, and the reality of war that plagues Israeli society. The Camel in the Forest speaks in the voice of a new generation of Israelis and will forever change your understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.