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The House of Dajani (or La Maison Dajani) was published in February 2008 by Yedioth Sfarim (editor: Rana Verbin), has become shortly after its publication a best-seller and was acclaimed by Haaretz newspaper as "fascinating, wise, enjoyable and important book".
The year is 1895, Jaffa. Salah
Dajani, a Muslim child,
living in a spacious mansion near
Jaffa, suffers from peculiar visions
about a disaster which is about to
befall his people. His mother, Afifa,
is helpless. The old servant, Amina,
the superstitious vassals and gloomy
appearance of the mansion do not
contribute to the recovery of the
child. But everything changes when
into Salah's life steps a handsome
young man, a dynamic Jew by the name
of Haim Margaliot Kalvarisky - one
of the most colorful men of early
Zionism, who was known as a highly
determined land acquirer from
Palestinians. Kalvarisky sets his
eye on the fertile lands of Dajani
estate, befriends Salah, and falls
in love with the beautiful and
seductive Afifa.
A historical novel, it is written as two parallel yet colliding journals of two characters: Jewish and Moslem. The animated relationship between the Arab boy and the Jew develops in Shakespearean avenues, as the Father and head of the family suddenly dies and Salah is required to rise from his books to defend his honor and property. No one comes to his rescue. Everyone mocks him when he predicts that three tall towers will be built on the land of the estate - one triangular, one square and one round. How does Salah not doubt that something is rotten in the Kingdom of Dejani - or is it the Kingdom of Kalvarisky?
In the process of writing the novel, Hilu studied actual letters from the period of early Zionism, which were stored in the Central Zionist Archive in Jerusalem. This novel is an extraordinary literary achievement, which re-creates the authentic atmosphere of the late 19th century in Palestine and succeeds in enhancing it with intense and exciting vitality.
"An outstanding book" - Israeli President Shimon Peres (Channel 2 News, May 28, 2008)
"…this book is a masterpiece of a rich and lush linguistic tapestry…The strong effect of (Hilu's) writing does not derive only from his new look at events of the past, but also and mainly from the way in which he compels us to think anew about today's political reality and its bleak future. .. an important, great book, and I assume it will be much discussed in the future" – Haaretz Book Review (front page)
"The most attractive young author around. Everyone complains that young Israeli literature is in trouble. We are the last to argue. However, as with any good generalization, there is an exception. In this case the exception is Alon Hilu. Four years ago, he published his first book, Death of a Monk – a dark historical novel about a blood libel in nineteenth-century Damascus, written in a thick and fiery language as if it were brought from another place. Then it became clear that Hilu was a name to remember. 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 Dajani, Hilu is again taking the reader to raft in a raging river, faraway from 2008" - Yedioth Ahronot
"The House of Dajani is a surprising and excellent novel, positioning Alon Hilu in a good stand within the first rank of the important Israeli literature" - Ynet
"….Alon Hilu's new and extraordinary The House of Dajani. 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 in the estate of the sheikh that gives the book its title. A tale of rape and conquest in more than one sense, it is a Mediterranean paraphrase of Hamlet depicting the relationship between the historical figure of Chaim Kalvarisky, a Zionist official who bought land from Arabs and was part of the First Aliyah; and Salah, a brilliant and sickly Arab youth who lives in the Dajani house with his beautiful mother, on whom Kalvarisky would like to get his hands (along with her lands)" - Neri Livneh, Ha'aretz
"The House of Dajani should be read like a funny fairytale with occasional parody, told by an adroit storyteller. The wings of Hilu's imagination are wide and spectacular" - TimeOut Tel Aviv
Haaretz Article: "Seeing Ghosts"
- an article by Meron Rapaport about
The House of Dajani
Pirates or Pioneers? Channel 10 News
