THE UNLIKELY SETTLER

A memoir of a tempestuous cross-cultural marriage, which challenges much of what we take for granted about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

When she left Bengal and settled in London, Lipika Pelham was seeking the freedom to choose her own identity in the world. However, the moment she met her future husband, that search for identity would become more fraught and complicated than she had ever imagined possible. She was a Bengali-Indian-Bangladeshi with a Hindu-Muslim background; he was a Jew with a pas-sion for Arab-Jewish coexistence in the Middle East. They married, pursued careers as journalists, had children, and moved to Jerusalem. This catapulted Li-pika into a world where freedom from cultural identity is unheard of. From the school you choose for your children to the wine you buy - you take sides at every turn and the question becomes - which side? This is a story of two people who are passionately in love, and choose to fight for their marriage in spite of numerous obstacles. It is also a portrait of one of the most emotive cities in the world. By allowing the reader to accompany her as she tries to make sense of Jerusalem, Pelham gives a brilliantly compelling and subtle insight into the complexities of daily life in Israel. Full of vivacity and energy, The Unlikely Settler is a plea for understanding and compromise as a solution to all conflicts, domestic and global. LIPIKA PELHAM was raised in rural Bengal, and in the past 20 years has lived in London, Ra-bat, Amman, and Jerusalem. In her early twenties Lipika began working for the BBC World Service. She reported from the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, as well as the Middle East. After ten years, she moved with her family to Jerusalem, where she became a documentary filmmaker. Her films have been screened in numerous festivals and on TV channels around the world. Deadly Honour, about honor killings among the urbanized Bedouins in Israel, won her the prestigious CMCA Prix de Jury in Marseille, 2010, as well as other prizes. She is currently working on a documentary film about Libya after Gaddafi.