Miḳi Ben-Kenaʻan

As I once pointed out, reading a book recommended by a friend is almost always guaranteed to be a pleasant experience. "אם החיטה" ("Mother of Wheat") by Naome Ben Canaan is no exception to this rule. As others have pointed out before me, Ben Canaan has managed what seems like an impossible feat. In a relatively short book she managed to weave an incredibly gripping and touching story, with vivid and unique characters. Other authors need double or triple the number of pages to achieve the same result. It is hard to describe this book. It is a fantasy, but one that is also very real. The book starts off with the main character, a small woman living on her own in Tel Aviv, building an helicopter from a kit she ordered online. She takes off for her nightly flights and embarks on an adventure that is so implausible it seems perfectly natural. She becomes a multi-millionaire after stumbling upon a unique method to make wheat grow quicker. Her friends to this incredible journey include a piccolo-playing giant, an old couple who disappear into a hole in the ground, two Bedouin brothers and a feisty Italian agronomist. Ben Canaan weaves the stories of these characters into one fascinating tale of love, hope, grief and happiness. Immediately after finishing the book, I went out and bought a copy for me to own. Such books are good companions to have in the home, close by, just in case one feels an urge to jump back into their magical world.… (mehr)