By Sara Shilo
Portobello, £12.99
This multi-award-winning novel is Sara Shilo's first venture into adult literature and, judging by the acclaim that has greeted its publication, it will not be her last. She takes a long, bleak look at one day in the life of the Dadon family, living in a small town in northern Israel.
The six children and their mother, Simona, have more to worry about than the threat of constant rocket attacks from Lebanon; they are still coming to terms with the loss of the father of the family - Mas'ud, the "falafel king" of the title. Told from the perspective of Simona and four of her children (the youngest are twins, born after the death of Mas'ud), Shilo's tale paints a harsh picture of life in a lesser-known Israel, away from the glamour and bustle of the big cities.
For Simona, working ceaselessly to care for her children, all joy in life has died together with her husband. She even welcomes the thought of a missile killing her so that she may be re-united with him.
