Love at First Sight

“It was love at first sight, like in the books.” That`s how this novel for young people opens. This, however, is not a beautiful love story between two young people; it is rather the story of painful coping with epilepsy, the feelings of shame that accompany the disease and the fear that the secret of the illness will become known.

Fifteen year old Ma`ayan falls in love with Golan, a new boy in her class. He is handsome, athletic, talented, secure and has a sense of humor. But a mysterious aura hangs over him. There are conflicting rumors about why his family moved to Jerusalem. Golan`s friends do not visit him at home, he refuses to join the basketball team eventough he is “a first-rate player,” he avoids going on the annual school trip and avoids girls who try to get close to him. During an English lesson Golan has a slight epileptic fit, but no one interprets the event correctly; some even think he is on drugs. Ma`ayan is upset and continues her attempts to get close to Golan and finally reveals her love for him in a letter. Happily he returns her love and admits that he too has fallen in love with her… Ma`ayan and Golan begin dating and shortly afterwards Ma`ayan discovers the truth about Golan`s illness. She learns to cope with it and thanks to her devotion and love, Golan succeeds in overcoming most of the social and psychological problems involving his illness and no longer tries to hide from and deceive those around him.