By
Dolores Gordon-Smith
‘I have always been interested in how conflict shapes lives, and Under the Almond Tree is, in one sense, a meditation on war and displacement. Having grown up in Northern Ireland in the 1980s during the time of the Troubles, conflict and peace became important themes for me early on. I studied languages and global politics, travelled widely and worked for many years in youth, education, international and human rights charity work – and those interests and experiences are reflected in my writing.
‘As well as telling the story of one particular refugee girl, Samar, and her family, the story is also about the redemptive power of literature. My love of Tolstoy’s writing was a big influence, Anna Karenina becoming a journey-companion to the narrator in the novel. Any book is filled with a multitude of ideas, influences and inspirations all melding together. This is especially true of a debut novel which is oftentimes years in the making.