The Diamond Setter

The uneventful life of a jeweller from Tel Aviv changes abruptly after Fareed, a handsome young man from Damascus, crosses illegally into Israel and makes his way to the ancient port city of Jaffa in search of his roots. In his pocket is a piece of a famous blue diamond known as Sabakh. Intending to return the diamond to its rightful owner, Fareed is soon swept up in Tel Aviv's vibrant gay scene, and a turbulent protest movement. He falls in love with an Israeli soldier and his boyfriend, the narrator of this book. We learn the story of his family's past-a tale of forbidden love beginning in the 1930s-and what connects Fareed and the jeweller. The Diamond Setter ties present-day events to a forgotten time before the creation of the State of Israel. Moshe Sakal's poignant mosaic of characters, locales, and cultures allows us to imagine the Middle East beyond its conflicts.