Events Calendar

Product Description

Sunday 14 April
11.00am  |  In-person
BOOKED OUT

‘The Wild Date Palm’ is based on an astonishing true story of espionage and passion – where a Jewish family fight for survival within the Ottoman Empire in World War I.

Join Diane Armstrong in conversation with Michaela Kalowski as they discuss Diane’s latest book, ‘The Wild Date Palm’. Set in Turkey in 1915.  Shoshana Adelstein witnesses the brutal murder of the Armenian people. Convinced that her Jewish community will soon meet a similar fate, Shoshana orchestrates an audacious plan. Alongside her lover, Eli, and brother, Nathan, Shoshana forms a clandestine spy ring. Risking betrayal, torture, and death, the trio passes intelligence to the British to try and help them win the war against the Turks.

When life is at stake, how far will we go to reach the limits of our dreams?

Diane Armstrong is a child Holocaust survivor, who arrived in Australia in 1948. Her family memoir, Mosaic (1998), was short-listed for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and the National Biography Award. The Wild Date Palm is her eighth book.

Michaela Kalowski is an interviewer, moderator and curator for writers and ideas festivals. In 2023, she was the curator and interviewer of the Brisbane Writers Festival’s online series, The Second Book. Michaela is also a radio presenter and regularly conducts interviews for the ABC.

To purchase a copy of The Wild Date Palm, click here.