G1051 Book Review of Promised land by Martin Fletcher
Author: Martin Fletcher
ISBN: 978-1-250-11882-0
Publisher: Thomas Dunne
Type of book: Israel, 1950-1967, family, history, Mossad, Judaism, shaping, control, power, hidden secrets, wars, survival, travel, US
Year it was published: 2018
Summary:
"Promised Land is a great sweeping epic, reminiscent of Leon Uris’ Exodus." —Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Cuban Affair
Promised Land is the sweeping saga of two brothers and the woman they love, a devastating love triangle set against the tumultuous founding of Israel.
The story begins when fourteen-year-old Peter is sent west to America to escape the growing horror of Nazi Germany. But his younger brother Arie and their entire family are sent east to the death camps. Only Arie survives.
The brothers reunite in the nascent Jewish state, where Arie becomes a businessman and one of the richest men in Israel while Peter becomes a top Mossad agent heading some of Israel’s most vital espionage operations. One brother builds Israel, the other protects it.
But they also fall in love with the same woman, Tamara, a lonely Jewish refugee from Cairo. And over the next two decades, as their new homeland faces extraordinary obstacles that could destroy it, the brothers’ intrigues and jealousies threaten to tear their new lives apart.
Promised Land is at once the gripping tale of a struggling family and an epic about a struggling nation.
Characters:
Main characters include Peter, Arie and Tamara. Peter is best described as the "hero," in that he seemed a little too perfect to be real. Peter is the elder brother who escaped to America shortly before travel was forbidden to Jews. But he returns to Israel and dedicates himself to a covert organization known as Mossad where he gets tasked with getting former Nazis to work with Israel. Peter is also perfect in many ways. There is also Arie, Peters younger brother who is forced to remain in Germany and survives the death camps. Unfortunately Aries experiences are glossed over, and the reader is left with mere fragments on why Arie is the way he is. Arie becomes a businessman and is best described as cruel, indefatigable and someone who is more cold hearted than warm. Last but not least is Tamara, a woman both brothers fall in love with. Tamara is an Egyptian Jew and a refugee from Egypt into Israel. Her family, in other words, will bring an interesting perspective from a Mizrahi Jew. ( I am also of opinion that her character needs to be worked on more...) There are secondary characters, but i feel as if we didn't really get to know them as much.
Theme:
Don't give up
Plot:
The story is written in third person narrative from a lot of character's points of view, although the main speakers are Peter, Arie and Tamara. I am not sure if its on purpose or if it will get covered in sequels, but I feel as if I didnt know or understand or even sympathize with the main characters, at least Arie. I have to say that I found Arie a more interesting character, and hoped to understand him better but couldn't. I also felt as if he was being set up as a villain of sorts. A lot of Israeli story, as presented in the book was both new and shocking to me, although I do understand the necessity of some questions. I think that the three main characters could use more work to be honest.
Author Information:
(From book)
Martin Fletcher spent many years as the NBC News Bureau Chief in Tel Aviv, and has won numerous awards, including the National Jewish Book Award, a Columbia University DuPont Award, several Overseas Press Club Awards, and five Emmys. Among his numerous novels and nonfiction books are THE WAR REPORTER. JACOB'S OATH, and WALKING ISRAEL. He is currently based in Israel and New York.
Opinion:
I feel bad, really bad that I am giving a book about Israel two stars. First of all, I am pro-Israel, and I love featuring as well as reading and reviewing tales that star Jewish characters. I don't have a lot of familiarity with Israel, therefore I was excited to devour it. However, I often felt as if the author was torn between two stories: that of Israel's early years and that of the men who helped to shape Israel into what it became today. Somehow the two didn't blend seamlessly as one hopes. What did work for me, surprisingly, is the larger picture and participation of the families. Those moments I really enjoyed when Tamaras father would make a point or discuss different issues with his children. I also loved learning post WW2 history.
This was given for a review
2 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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