Home
/
Fiction
/
The People of Forever are not Afraid
The People of Forever are not Afraid
Dec 4, 2025 5:38 AM

Author:Shani Boianjiu

The People of Forever are not Afraid

Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction

Yael, Avishag and Lea grow up together in a tiny, dusty village in Israel. They attend high school, gossip about boys, and try to find ways to alleviate the universal boredom of teenage life. Then at eighteen they are conscripted into the army.

Yael trains marksmen, Avishag stands guard watching refugees throw themselves at barbed-wire fences and Lea, posted at a checkpoint, imagines the stories behind the familiar faces that pass by her day after day. All of them live in that single intense second before danger erupts, all of them trying to survive however they can…

Shortlisted for The Jewish Quarterly Wingate Prize

Reviews

A searing novel

—— Catherine Taylor , Guardian

In a humorous and beguiling deadpan, Boianjiu conveys the fleeting, vanishing experience of hovering between adolescence and adulthood, at the same time as providing a rare portrait of young Israelis being minced through military service

—— Robert Collins , Sunday Times

A memorably bold novel... Somewhere between the sardonic humour of Etgar Keret and the epic storytelling of David Grossman, Boianjiu has created a brave, beautiful, political literature that is entirely her own

—— Catherine Taylor , Sunday Telegraph

This unflinching debut novel depicts with depth and acuity the disorientating effects of fear on young minds... The girls are often lost for words, but the author successfully finds a voice to express the dehumanising horror of warfare in this fragmented plot held together with a passionate, poetic eloquence

—— Anita Sethi , Observer

[Boianjiu’s] voice is distinct. It’s confident, raw, amusing — a lot like her women

—— New York Times

Remarkable…The People of Forever Are Not Afraid is a fierce and beautiful portrait of the damage done by war

—— The Washington Post

More full of life than any young writer I’ve come across in a long time.

—— Nicole Krauss, author of THE HISTORY OF LOVE

Reads like it was written in bullets, tear gas, road flares and love. I demand another book from her, immediately.

—— Alexander Chee, author of EDINBURGH

The focus of Boianjiu’s book isn’t those horrible events: it is the tension that exists just outside the line of fire, the moment before a crisis erupts. Boianjiu’s best writing happens as the book progresses, when the teens let their minds wander into what they have experienced, and imagine an apocalyptic future for their country

—— Sheera Frenkel , The Times

Unique and piercing... Reading it feels like having your heart sawn in two.

—— Etgar Keret, author of SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR

In this Bildungsroman, life in the army initiates a metamorphosis from girl to woman…Boianjiu’s depiction of…the psyches of these young women is fascinating… The prose [reads] alternately like a nightmare and a dream, but this feverish indecision is what gives it its power

—— Economist

The People of Forever Are Not Afraid is... carefully wrought, consciously structured, creatively imagined

—— The New Republic

With its blend of brutal hilarity and heart-stopping anguish, this is a brilliant debut novel

—— Boston Globe

Stunning…[a] beautifully rendered account of the absurdities and pathos inherent to everyday life in Israel

—— Los Angeles Review of Books

Boianjiu’s searing debut…draws from the author’s own experiences to render the absurdities of life and love on the precipice of violence

—— Vogue

In her riveting debut novel, 25-year-old Shani Boianjiu gives a rare insider glimpse at what it’s like to be a girl coming of age in the famously fierce Israeli Defense Forces

—— Marie Claire

A dark, riveting window into the mind-state of Israel's younger generation, The People of Forever Are Not Afraid marks the arrival of a brilliant writer

—— Wall Street Journal

Honest...
Shani Bioanjiu has given us a valuable addition to our understanding of the Israel/Palestine conflict

—— New Internationalist

Tigerman manages ... that elusive combination of intelligent, beautiful writing with a story that is imaginative, fast-paced and really good fun. There's plenty to make you think as well as plenty to make you laugh … Harkaway writes with such dexterity and delight … That balance of proper storytelling with literary complexity is, for me, what makes a book really special and Tigerman does this with aplomb - it's a joy to read.

—— We Love This Book

Tigerman is a brilliant and unique novel which deserves to be read again and again ... dazzling display of creativity.

—— Upcoming4.me

I was dazzled … Characterisation is as ever top notch … this is a marvel … everyone will appreciate the sheer grace and artistry of it.

—— Liz Loves Books

Tigerman is a truly engaging and original book; for all the nail-biting tension, humour, superheroic deeds and a brilliant twist there is also a deep and honest heart to it ... This is easily one of the best books I've read this year.

—— Hair Past A Freckle

With intelligent, witty writing you cannot help but warm to the unlikely and slightly hapless hero in Lester Ferris.

—— Starburst

A virtuoso piece of entertainment which hurtles satisfyingly towards its conclusion after delivering a startling, didn’t-see-that-coming sucker-punch of a twist.

—— A Life in Books

Funny, moving and thought-provoking

—— Big Issue in the North

The key to Harkaway’s writing is the incredibly textured depth and imaginative characterisation. It is one of those books whose character are so rich that by the climax, you feel like they’ve penetrated your reality and you want to keep them close, even after the book is over.

—— Nudge

Original and exciting, full of humanity and comedy, Tigerman by Nick Harkaway is a beautiful piece of work

—— Morning Star

Original, exciting, full of humanity and comedy, Tigerman by Nick Harkaway is a beautiful piece of work.

—— Morning Star
Comments
Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdbook.com All Rights Reserved