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ssindc 's review for:
Where the Desert Meets the Sea
by Werner Sonne
Got this one for free through Amazon First Reads as one of this month's selections, and, first and foremost, it was worth every penny I paid for it. (Sorry, I couldn't resist. But it is what it is, and most months I find that the allure of free books just isn't that alluring, particularly because we have an excellent public library..... But, having said that, I have enjoyed a few of the freebies I've obtained this way....)
It was a relatively quick read, and a few of the characters were at least somewhat compelling, and I don't regret reading it, but it wasn't particularly memorable or uniquely well crafted (in my opinion).
As historical fiction goes, it might be informative to someone unfamiliar with the post-WWII creation and early conflict surrounding the new State of Israel, which, of course, was a tumultuous period. But, well, for anyone who read Leon Uris' 1958 classic Exodus, it seems like a poor (thin?) substitute. Granted, Exodus is significantly more one-sided (e.g., pro-Israel), at least as I recall it, and this author tries (to my mind, rather unsuccessfully) to be a bit more even handed or balanced, ... but ... nah, I'm guessing not many readers find this one to be "fair" or "balanced" view (which, granted, is a tall order). Also, to be fair, Exodus weighs in at twice the length, so it's not a fair comparison... but, still. For more modern Israeli fiction, I recommend Amos Oz (who recently passed away), and, if you're only going to read one serious book about Israel, my all-time favorite is Havlevi's sublime non-fictional chronicle, Like Dreamers, which picks up the story a half-generation after this book's story line. Now, that's an excellent (and complex) book, well worth reading.
I'll never know whether my frustrations with the (largely) pedestrian (flat?) prose was the author's intent or the interpreter's vision, but, not many passages sang to me. Still, having said that, the pages turned quickly, and the story amused me through a couple of short flights, ... so I'm not complaining.
Reviewer's visual side note: when I saw the cover of this book, I couldn't resist, so I posted a picture on my profile page that's basically the same shot that's on the cover (without the two women, of course). https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/2330809-steve?page=1&photo=3796331 ... I spent an hour at the overlook above the Mount of Olives cemetery, with the sun setting, looking across at the Old City. Frustratingly, even though I had my tripod, the evening I was there, it was incredibly windy, so it ended up being more of a production than I'd planned. But, hey, the shot still came out quite nicely.... So, check it out!
It was a relatively quick read, and a few of the characters were at least somewhat compelling, and I don't regret reading it, but it wasn't particularly memorable or uniquely well crafted (in my opinion).
As historical fiction goes, it might be informative to someone unfamiliar with the post-WWII creation and early conflict surrounding the new State of Israel, which, of course, was a tumultuous period. But, well, for anyone who read Leon Uris' 1958 classic Exodus, it seems like a poor (thin?) substitute. Granted, Exodus is significantly more one-sided (e.g., pro-Israel), at least as I recall it, and this author tries (to my mind, rather unsuccessfully) to be a bit more even handed or balanced, ... but ... nah, I'm guessing not many readers find this one to be "fair" or "balanced" view (which, granted, is a tall order). Also, to be fair, Exodus weighs in at twice the length, so it's not a fair comparison... but, still. For more modern Israeli fiction, I recommend Amos Oz (who recently passed away), and, if you're only going to read one serious book about Israel, my all-time favorite is Havlevi's sublime non-fictional chronicle, Like Dreamers, which picks up the story a half-generation after this book's story line. Now, that's an excellent (and complex) book, well worth reading.
I'll never know whether my frustrations with the (largely) pedestrian (flat?) prose was the author's intent or the interpreter's vision, but, not many passages sang to me. Still, having said that, the pages turned quickly, and the story amused me through a couple of short flights, ... so I'm not complaining.
Reviewer's visual side note: when I saw the cover of this book, I couldn't resist, so I posted a picture on my profile page that's basically the same shot that's on the cover (without the two women, of course). https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/2330809-steve?page=1&photo=3796331 ... I spent an hour at the overlook above the Mount of Olives cemetery, with the sun setting, looking across at the Old City. Frustratingly, even though I had my tripod, the evening I was there, it was incredibly windy, so it ended up being more of a production than I'd planned. But, hey, the shot still came out quite nicely.... So, check it out!