Jerusalem Beach: Stories by Gefen, Iddo

*WINNER OF THE 2023 SAMI ROHR PRIZE FOR JEWISH LITERATURE, FICTION*

"This vigorous, inventive work will surely fire up readers' neurons." -- Starred Review, Publisher's Weekly

For fans of Etgar Keret, a debut collection that fuses the humor of everyday life in Israel with technology's challenges and the latest discoveries about the human brain.

At once compassionate, philosophical, and humorous, Jerusalem Beach is a foray into the human condition in all its contradictions. Through a series of snapshots of contemporary life in Israel, Gefen reveals a world that's a step from the familiar.

A man's grandfather joins an army platoon of geriatrics looking for purpose in old age. A scheming tech start-up exposes the dire consequences of ambition in trying to share human memories. An elderly couple searches for a beach that doesn't exist. And, a boy mourns his brother's death in an attempt to catch time like flies in his fist.

Entirely heartfelt and infused with pathos, Jerusalem Beach is an exploration of both technology and the brain. Whether ruminating on the stakes of familial love or pitching the reader headlong into the absurdity of success and failure, Gefen leaves the reader intrigued throughout.

Author: Iddo Gefen
Publisher: Astra House
Published: 08/17/2021
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.60w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781662600432

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/14/2021
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2021
Shelf Awareness 08/27/2021

About the Author
Iddo Gefen was born in 1992 in Israel and currently resides in Tel Aviv. He works in neurocognitive research at the The Immersive Media & Cognition Group in Sagol Brain Institute, Sourasky Medical Center and Tel Aviv University, exploring how storytelling can improve our understanding of the human mind. Iddo leads an innovative study to diagnose aspects of Parkinson's disease using storytelling and augmented reality. Jerusalem Beach is his debut collection, and recipient of the Israeli Minister of Culture Award (2017); Iddo won the National Library of Israel "Pardes" Scholarship for young writers (2019). His debut novel, Mrs. Lilienblum's Cloud Factory, will be published by Astra House in 2022.