When I Was a Soldier

Valerie lives in a country that is effectively at war. She worries about ‘typical’ teenage issues like exams, what she wears, how much she’s eating, and whether her boyfriend will call – but also deals with bigger issues like being called up to do National Service with the Israeli army.

Nothing has prepared Valerie for the strict routines, gruelling marches, lack of sleep, poor food, absence of privacy or crushing of initiative. However, there is also the undeniable excitement of the work, including working in a ‘spying centre’ near Jerusalem, listening in on the communications of the Jordanian pilots.