Children at the Gate

A literary masterpiece from the author of The L-Shaped Room. Perfect for fans of Ali Smith, Jeanette Winterson and Deborah Levy.

Can love set Gerda free from her past?

Israel, 1960s

Following the breakdown of her marriage and the tragic death of her young son, Gerda Shaffer has exiled herself to one of the poorest areas of Israel.

Struggling to find a purpose in life, she has fallen into a desperate cycle of drink and depression.

Her only friend is Kofi, an itinerant Arab house-painter.

Kofi, with the help of his charming half-Jewish daughter Hanna, gradually brings Gerda back from the brink.

And when he offers Gerda the chance to adopt a desperate orphan, hope floods into her heart.

But moving forward is never easy. And soon devastating events will conspire against Gerda's new beginning ...

Children at the Gate is a heart-breaking story of love, loss, Jewish identity and prejudice in a country on the brink of war.