Love and Desire in the Promised Land: The Private Lives of Israelis and Palestinians

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Like skilled seducers, the authors do not rush. They draw the reader in gradually, until their message finally lands with full force.-- "Haaretz"

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Love and Desire appeals to this reviewer not only as a brilliantly-drawn comic but as an exercise in interviews, not example life-stories but not far away, the stories of sexual encounters that reveal much more.-- "Comics Grinder"

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A fascinating record of human persistence in the midst of turmoil.-- "Kirkus"

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This is a stunning work that humanizes groups of people so often defined internationally by their conflict.-- "Booklist, Starred Review"

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Love and Desire in the Promised Land urges read-ers to remem-ber the human-i-ty of those whose lives are shaped by the Israeli?-?Pales-tin-ian con-flict. It is thus vital read-ing for any-one invest-ed in the con-flict.-- "Jewish Book Council"

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This looks like a key release in the graphic journalism genre for 2026.-- "Broken Frontier"

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Deloupy's fluid, collage-like comics depict the diversity of both humans and landscape; he takes poetic license at evocative moments, and in others turns out journalistic courtroom-style sketches. The result is both joyful and sobering.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Publisher Marketing:
Love and Desire in the Promised Land gives voice to a dozen real-life citizens of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank who navigate messy boundaries in their homes and bedrooms against a background of geopolitical violence.

Collecting interviews conducted before the October 7 attack unleashed a new wave of bloody conflict, the book introduces fascinating individuals and couples who speak frankly about the transgressions that define their experiences with intimacy. The portrayals represent a diverse population, including an interfaith celebrity power couple, an Orthodox gynecologist, a young gay Muslim, a Palestinian American feminist, a Ukrainian Israeli artist, and a Palestinian lesbian in a relationship with an Israeli soldier.

Through these candid conversations, recorded by Parent-Rachdi and illustrated with a warm touch by Deloupy, the authors illuminate a culture and a people whose humanity has been shrouded by the fever pitch of politics and the tragedy of genocide. In a strict society, where norms are enforced by tradition, religion, and the threat of violence, these ordinary citizens follow their heart and risk it all in the name of love and desire.

Review Citations:

• Booklist 04/01/2026 (EAN 9798875001697, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
• Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2026 (EAN 9798875001697, Hardcover)
• Publishers Weekly 06/29/2026 (EAN 9798875001697, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:Parent-Rachdi, Salomé
Salomé Parent-Rachdi is a freelance journalist based in Paris. She was a correspondent in Israel and the Palestinian Territories from 2017 to 2020. She works for the written press and produces podcasts and TV documentaries.

Contributor Bio:Deloupy
Deloupy is a graduate of the Beaux-Arts d'Angoulême, having studied the graphic novel. He works as a freelance illustrator for advertising and has been publishing for children since 2002. He took part in Marjane Satrapi's collective work Femme, vie, liberté (L'Iconoclaste 2023).

Contributor Bio:Allen, Jenna
Jenna Allen is a freelance translator based in Colorado.