Netanya is a fascinating blend of reminiscence, fiction, and amateur science, seeking to convey not only a personal story but the big picture in which the saga of life on Earth and of the stars that surround it have the same status as anecdotes about one's aunts and uncles. With a tip of the hat to W. G. Sebald and Yoel Hoffmann, Netanya seeks to transform human history into an intimate family story, and demonstrates how the mind at play can bring a little warmth into a cold universe.

Dror Burstein was born in 1970 in Netanya, Israel, and lives in Tel Aviv. He teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as well as at Tel Aviv University, edits programs for Israel Radio's music station, and writes literary and art reviews. He has been awarded the Bernstein Prize (2005) and the Prime Minister's Prize (2006).