Aquarium

“Lyrical, introspective, and unconventional … Yaara Shehori is a talented author who has crafted a nuanced, worthy novel. Textured and vivid, Aquarium offers a profound exploration of hearing–both its presence and its absence–and its impact on a family, on society, and on ourselves.” –Gisèle Lewis, Washington Independent Review of Books

“Hauntingly surreal … Aquarium ultimately offers a fearless translation of the elusiveness of human experience, illuminating those rare moments of being that escape our preconception of beauty, even if they can’t be clearly understood the instant they pass through us.” –Jaclyn Gilbert, Jewish Book Council

“Lyrical … Shehori’s novel examines how stories are not only told, but how they are heard, as Lili and Dori fiercely share their observations of the world and how they have allowed their disability to shape their lives. This coming of age story poses questions about family, community and how disabilities are perceived.” –TinaMarie Craven, The Ridgefield Press

“Ambitious, intelligent, and nuanced, Aquarium is a story that interrogates the limits of stories and the words we use to tell them, whether they are made of hand signs, speech sounds, or written letters. The emotional force of Yaara Shehori’s novel turns on what remains unspoken: the fierce attachment of two sisters during childhood and the reverberating consequences of tearing them apart.” –Siri Hustvedt, author of Memories of the Future

“A fascinating coming-of-age tale of two Deaf sisters finding their way in a hearing world … Both their perspectives are filled with lyrical and evocative passages … A powerful story of sisters and broken families.” –Alma

“With thoughtful character studies of each sister, Aquarium interrogates disability, limitations, and storytelling … The novel shines in its depiction of the malleable nature of family histories.” –Laura Chanoux, Booklist

“Shehori has brought into being a memorable fictional world that asks us to rethink our assumptions about family versus community, nature versus nurture, and how we relate to–and communicate with–one another.” –Kirkus Reviews

Yaara Shehori is an Israeli novelist and poet. She has been an editor of Hebrew literature at Keter Books since 2013. In 2015, Shehori was awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Hebrew Literary Works and the Ministry of Culture’s award for upcoming writers. She holds a PhD in Hebrew literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and a fellowship from the University of Iowa International Writing Program. In 2017, Aquarium was recognized with the Bernstein Prize for the best original Hebrew-language novel.

Todd Hasak-Lowy is an American writer and translator, and a professor of creative writing and literature at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

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