Of Israeli life in Palo Alto: Noga Niv - Inside the Bubble

Contemporary books about the hectic Israeli expat experiences in Europe or America are not a very frequent publishing event - at least not in English, but this one succeeds to break the ice. Inside the Bubble was published in Hebrew in 2008 and comes in an English version in 2015. 

Told from the perspective of Daniella, an Israeli psychologist on the Western coast of the USA, the literary alter ego of the author, it tells the story of a couple of financially successful Israeli families living on the top of the big waves of the start-up bubble. It is hard to identify these people back in the country as they keep speaking Hebrew and their children, altough bilingual, keep a strong Israeli identity. In the country, they belong to the invisible rich people, investing in expensive penthouse they occupy for maximum two months the year, the house where they will one day return, eventually, after getting the best from the 'chutz'. In the States, they are quite easy to spot, as they do not mix very well with the local Jewish communities, except during the high holidays or some special charity events. They keep the customs and the language and the homesickness for home and the za'atar. Many of them the first generation born in Israel, their identity is made up of their common language, Army histories and the grief of their parents whose lives were dramatically torn to pieces by Shoah. 

The stories are told through the voices of the women friends, part of a group of expat women that are trying to make a life of their own while their husbands are busy making money. They are not strong women, as the stereotypical women literature expects to be, but women enjoying the discoveries of their mature years, with all the doubts and struggle involved. Human stories are never simple and I enjoyed the subtle observations and introspections of the author.  

There are stories to be told and readers to enjoy them and this book is a welcomed addition to an emerging literature. Right now, I wonder who will write a similar book about expat life in Berlin. Or maybe not.