Cover of House Arrest

2026

House Arrest

English translation coming October 2026
Sapir Prize (2013)

A darkly comic portrait of a family and the gap between who we think we are and how we actually live.

A novel about secrets, identity, and what we owe the people we love.

Asa Fogel, an unemployed professor recently separated from his wife, learns that his mother — deputy director of a peace research institute and professor of Israel studies — is suspected of embezzling 3.4 million shekels. The novel follows Asa as he navigates family dynamics, media scrutiny, and the need to reassess everything he thought he knew about the people closest to him. Told across eight narrative sections, each from a different perspective, House Arrest is a darkly comic portrait of a family, a social class, and the lies we tell to protect ourselves.

"All this abundance, in which one family becomes a mirror to an entire social class in Israel."

Avraham Balaban
Haaretz Books

"Yedlin excels at revealing the pathological components of everyday interactions, transforming them into dark, witty humor."

Ran Ben-Nun
Yedioth Aharonot

"Sharp satire combined with lyrical emotional depth."

Arik Glasner
Yedioth Aharonot

"Stunning work — Yedlin's talents shine brightly."

Haaretz

"Hilarious and deeply moving."

Tarbut Yom Aleph

"Excellent, compelling narrative with wonderful style and remarkable irony."

Haaretz

"An excellent book — a clear, distinct, and uncompromising voice that sets a high literary standard."

Dorit Rabinyan
Author

"A riveting book that examines Ashkenazi society with both sarcasm and compassion."

Alon Hilu
Author

Adaptations

Israel Beit Lessin Theater 2021
House Arrest

A stage adaptation of the novel.

Production still from House Arrest
Production still from House Arrest
Production still from House Arrest

Photo: Kfir Bolotin

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