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In The Not Promised Land, Lucia D’Anna takes us on a deeply emotional journey through the lives of individuals whose stories are shaped by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The author paints a vivid picture of the daily experiences of Israelis and Palestinians, both religious and secular, alongside foreigners who find themselves in this war-torn region. Written by a mother, musician, and passionate writer during an ongoing war, these stories offer an intimate and human perspective on a complex and often misunderstood reality. This collection is not only insightful for those approaching the topic for the first time but also serves as a valuable resource for high school students wishing to explore the subject.

Proceeds from the book sales will be donated to support musical activities for children in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.

The book won the prize “Microeditoria di alta qualità 2025-Chiari” (Little publishers of high quality 2025 Chiari)

” The conflict has always been narrated by soldiers, politicians, bureaucrats, experts, religious guides and journalists. Never by a cellist. And it is a pleasant discovery, because this unexpected human perspective possesses qualities lacking in the usual categories of decision-makers, observers and commentators: the simplicity of observation; the sensitivity of an artist who playsand teaches the cello; the detached involvement of a foreigner living within the conflict between the two peoples. And being a woman: among the soldiers and politicians who have defined the conflict for over a hundred years, and among the sages who have judged it, women are historically very few.”

Ugo Tramballi, Sole 24 ore, ISPI Advisor

” The harmony of sounds comes before words, and by dwelling in the innermost part of the brain, it permeates even thought and reason. This is why, when a musician engages in creative writing, they inevitably imprint a musicality onto their text. This is precisely what happens, for example, in the beautiful book by Lucia D’Anna, a young musician from Jerusalem, in her literary debut The Unpromised Land. The Jerusalemite melting pot is also the hallmark of the twelve stories contained in the book. Stories of the everyday, of tension, fear, anger, and sorrow that followed October 7th, on both sides of the conflict. Stories whose protagonists are mainly women, with their thoughtfulness, discernment, empathy, and gentleness. Even their suffering takes on, in Lucia D’Anna’s writing, a melancholy sweetness. And then the children—the primary victims of this senseless war.
The tragedy of October 7th, and the equally tragic events that followed, have deeply marked the human relationships of those who live in this tormented land. Relationships—if not of friendship, at least of respectful closeness—that had been painstakingly built over the years have crumbled in a climate now dominated by fear, mistrust, and suspicion. “

Roberto Cetera, L’Osservatore Romano