The People of Forever Are Not Afraid : Reading During War

In this episode of The Snobby Sisters Book Club, (originally recorded in March, 2025) Pesha and Rachel dive deep into Shani Boianjiu’s haunting, surreal, and unforgettable novel The People of Forever Are Not Afraid.They explore why this book, about three young Israeli women coming of age in a small town, through army service, and into adulthood, feels at once dreamlike and disturbingly real. Along the way, they reflect on their own experience reading this book during an actual war, the strange mix of humor and horror in its scenes, and the questions it raises about soldiers, checkpoints, and growing up in an imperfect world.The sisters share their favorite (and strangest) scenes, dissect the aimlessness of the characters, talk about how it compares to other books they’ve loved, and confess why they’re desperate to track down the elusive author herself.Also mentioned in this episode:The Yellow Wind — David GrossmanTo the End of the Land — David GrossmanThe author’s recommended books as mentioned during the episode: The Secret History - Donna TartWho Moved My Cheese - Spencer Johnson, Kafka on the Shore - Haruki MurakamiThe Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey NiffeneggerThe History of Love - Nicole Krauss. Beaufort - Ron Leshem, Silence of the Lambs - Thomas HarrisThings I Don't Tell - Yael Gadi Taub.Missing Kissinger - Etgar KeretReach out with feedback, book requests, or to say hello at [email protected]