Review of A knock at the Door

[Precious Amarachi Nzeakor]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A knock at the Door" by Ory Slonim.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Shneur Ory Slonim is an Israeli lawyer who volunteers at a non-governmental organization that caters to disabled children. He is recruited as a jump instructor amidst other minor roles before he finally gets involved in the issue of Israeli soldiers who are declared missing in action (MIAs) or prisoners of war (POWs). For a while, his job role is undefined until he's formally given the title of special advisor to the defense minister. This job role is basically a volunteer position, and Ory finds himself involved in negotiations and meetings that are aimed at bringing these soldiers back home or, at the very least, gaining some information about their whereabouts and state of being.

A Knock at the Door: The Story of My Secret Work with Israeli MIAs and POWs by Ory Slonim is an autobiography detailing the experiences of Ory Slonim in his role as special advisor to the defense minister for Israeli MIAs and POWs. He mentions having to also deal with the bereaved families during ongoing investigations as well as afterwards when a case finally comes to a close. In some of the chapters, some of the family members of these soldiers give their accounts in terms of working with Ory, and we get more insight into how well Ory related to the bereaved. We see Ory juggle a life filled with many responsibilities, but how well does he excel at his job?

One thing I enjoyed about this book was the insights it gave me into the political state of Israel as well as their disposition towards soldiers who were either MIAs or POWs. The pain of having a family member who is missing in action or a prisoner of war is also highlighted. We are shown how different families deal with the uncertainty of never knowing if they'll get their loved ones back. I loved how we were made to understand the pain these families go through and the efforts made by the government without being antagonistic toward either party. I also found no errors in the book, suggesting it was exceptionally well edited.

However, I had one issue with the book, and that was the issue of repetition. Some details were unnecessarily repeated, especially in chapters 21 and 22, which repeated the same information verbatim for no apparent reason. Also, at a point, it felt like the book was more focused on extolling the wonderful qualities of Ory than the soldiers in question.

In conclusion, I enjoyed reading this book and even got some life philosophies out of it at the beginning chapters; therefore, I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Perhaps if the repetitions had been avoided and a little more insight given to the lives of these soldiers before and during the war, I might have given this book a perfect rating. If you happen to enjoy history and true-life stories involving military action, then this book would be a perfect read for you. So kick back and enjoy.

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A knock at the Door
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[Ivana_5]

This is a story between MLAs and POWs. Author telling us how looks when lost a family on action in Israel. Voloonter work in non guverment organisation and filing pain because lost a family in Israel. Political decisions is bead for his life, but he do everything to faund your family. He helpp another people to survive difficult time. I recommend this stry people why like a istorical and political stories, because is psihologic and story why tach - hart.

[Kigen Valarie]

I think Ory is a good guy, based on the information drawn from the review. I have a feeling that this book contains a lot of interesting information. Although we get to know the feelings of family, friends, and relatives of MLAs and POWs, I'm certain the way Ory performs his work is extraordinary.