A novel-memoir, the most personal book of a classic Israeli author. A family saga and a self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and the turbulent post-war era. It is the story of a boy growing up in war-torn Jerusalem, in a small apartment filled with books in twelve languages, surrounded by twelve relatives. It is the story of a teenager whose life was forever changed by the death of his mother. It is the story of a young man who managed to break free from the suffocating world of his family, merge into an unknown new world, and change his name. It is the story of a famous writer who becomes an active participant in the political life of his country. A very warm book, with both humorous episodes and very serious reflections on good and evil, on the place of man in a new, forming world, on family, parents, war, and the confrontation with the neighboring people. Amos Oz, already a famous writer, looks back at his childhood, which had more troubles and hardships than joy, and sees only warmth and love.