A former lawyer trained in international human rights law, MICHELLE COHEN CORASANTIhas her BA from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and her MA from Harvard. Both are in Middle Eastern studies. Currently living in New York with her husband and their twins, Michelle actively promotes awareness of issues that affect the Middle East. Michellersquo;s knowledge of the Israelindash;Palestinian struggle comes from the seven years she lived in Israel. First-hand, she witnessed the struggles of the Palestinians and heard their stories. Stories of one-room mud houses without electricity. Fathers imprisoned for decades at a time. Illiterate mothers who could not provide for their children. Small boys… that gave up school work for manual labor. Although Jewish, her love and compassion for the Palestinian people grew. Eventually, she married her first husband ndash; an Arabndash;Israeli who she met at Harvard University where he was doing his post doctorate with a Nobel prize winner in Chemical Physics. Their traditional wedding took place in his Middle Eastern village. It was his story ndash; one of an incredible intelligence that took him out of the Middle East and dropped him beside a Nobel prizewinner ndash; that sparked inspiration for The Almond Tree.