Official Review: Israela by Batya Casper

[Cristina Chifane]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Israela" by Batya Casper.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Batya Casper’s Israela is by far the best novel I have reviewed for OnlineBookClub. Written from the perspective of three different women, the book tells the story of the tumultuous history of the state of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What is unique about it is that it does not rely for a second on arid historical facts and data. On the contrary, it focuses on the devastating consequences of the never-ending military confrontations on the lives of ordinary people. Not accidentally, women’s voices are empowered and called to reflect on their personal experiences as daughters, sisters, wives, or mothers.

Apart from the metaphorical title, the author moves a step forward by allowing Israela to acquire a voice of her own at the beginning of each of the seven parts of the novel. The one-page interludes are exceptionally eloquent in terms of a nation’s troubled history: “I am delicate, but I am surrounded by giants who desire and hate me, who grab at parts of me, who want to cut me up into separate halves like the women with the baby in Solomon’s proverbial tale.” Despite the flashbacks and multiple time jumps, the overall narrative is brilliantly held together by the three storytellers, Ruti/Ratiba, Orit, and Alison/Elisheva. The first-person narrators are women who struggle to find their own identity in a predominantly patriarchal world where men are not willing to compromise or put aside their blind ambitions.

Ruti is an Israeli journalist who takes the dramatic decision to change her name to Ratiba and marry Ibrahim, an Israeli Arab. Once she moves to his village, she does not only assume a new identity, but she is also forced to give up on her sister, Orit. For years to come, Ruti/Ratiba will be caught between two identities. Unable to tell her husband the truth about her Jewish ancestry, she is unaware that her father-in-law, Kasim, has his own secret too. A bloodstained Jewish prayer shawl hidden in the family shed could change their lives in unpredictable ways. Much time will pass until the protagonists learn that only the truth can set them free.

Ruti’s adopted sister, Orit, is an actress and lives a much more liberal life. Longing for her sister, she will not find her peace of mind until they are reunited one way or another. Acting as an intermediary between the two sisters, Elisheva, their cousin, is a nurse and first-hand witness of the physical and psychological pain inflicted by a perpetual state of war.

Focusing on the circumvoluted history of the Maimon family, Batya Casper skillfully retraces the major political and military stages in Israel’s history. The protagonists themselves as well as their family members, friends, or mere acquaintances are all affected by whatever happens at the geopolitical level. If I had simply read a history book on the region, I would not have had the chance to understand the complex relationships, the ambivalence, and identity issues at the core of people’s daily lives. Weaving an intricate web of tales, the author goes back in time as far as the Arab riots in Hebron in 1929 and as late as 2007 when borders are closed and no one can get in or out of the Palestinian territories. With a keen eye for detail and historical accuracy, the novelist tackles the impact of important events such as: the proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948; the declaration of war of the five Arab states; the War of Independence of 1948-1949; the mass immigration from Europe and Arab countries; the Sinai Campaign in 1956; Adolf Eichmann’s trial and execution for Holocaust crimes in 1962; the Six-Day War in 1967; the Yom Kipper War in 1973; the Camp David Accords at the end of the 1970s; the Operation Moses or the immigration of Jews from Ethiopia; the Intifada of the 1980s; the implementation of Palestinian self-government in West Bank and Gaza Strip; the escalation of fundamentalist Arab terrorism; the second Intifada in 2000, or the building of the anti-terrorist fence.

Modernist in scope and content, Israela is also postmodernist in terms of its narrative techniques and strategies. Every historical event is introduced through the eyes of one of the vast cast of characters. I felt close to Orit for her free spirit and love of theatrical performance, but I also appreciated Elisheva for her abnegation and dedication to her patients. Although I could not understand Ruti’s transformation into Ratiba, I empathized with her inner doubts, regret, and uncertainty. Moreover, I was moved to tears by many of the other charactes’ stories like Mrs. Harari’s, Avrohm’s, Zalman’s, or Hamzah’s.

The chapters are not numbered; they simply bear the names of the female protagonists like in Andrea Levy and Toni Morrison’s novels. Besides, Batya Casper shares with these two novelists the interior monologue and psychological analysis technique, the defragmentation strategy, and the emphasis on the relativism of historical truth. Intertextual references to the Bible or the Quran send a powerful message of peace and tolerance for different religions and cultures. As far as I am concerned, I particularly enjoyed the beautiful lyrical passages describing Orit’s dreams or Elisheva’s mystical experiences. The author’s merit is to have found a balance between these passages and the realistic descriptions of the war stories.

I am recommending Israela to all those interested in a historical novel that is both emotional and thought-provoking and offers an honest and unbiased perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since it is well edited too, I whooleheartedly rate it 4 out of 4 stars.

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Israela
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[s_writing]

This novel sounds very empowering! The fact that it gives three different women's perspectives gives the book a powerful message. Your review was so imformative.

[Nathan Berner]

That was a very good and detailed review. From what you said, I can imagine that there is a lot of character development that plays off related characters as well as the obvious geopolitical conflict. This book seems like an enticing read!

[Cristina Chifane]

This novel sounds very empowering! The fact that it gives three different women's perspectives gives the book a powerful message. Your review was so imformative.

Thank you. The novel is not only a pleasure to read, but also highly revelatory in many ways.

[Cristina Chifane]

That was a very good and detailed review. From what you said, I can imagine that there is a lot of character development that plays off related characters as well as the obvious geopolitical conflict. This book seems like an enticing read!

Yes, the characters are extremely well-portrayed. As a reader, I got emotionally engaged and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next and how the characters would deal with whatever happened because of the religious, cultural, or political differences governing their lives for such a long time.

[Fu Zaila]

Woah, incredible review of what sounds like a brilliant book. I'm completely convinced. That simple quote from the book itself sounds promising enough. I like it when history books focus on characters and the effect of war and surroundings on their ordinary lives. Israel's always been something I've wanted to read more on. Thank you for your review!

[kandscreeley]

This sounds fascinating. It's not a historical account of the war, but it's rather about the devastating consequences on people's lives. It's not a book I would normally read, but your review was nice. Thanks.

[AAISHA Al FARIS]

A comprehensive and detailed writing. I would love to read the book and I think I was able to somewhat grasp the aura of the work from your amazing review. It seems that the book has this magical mix of the historic, the factual and the emotional. Grateful for the review and I would definitely go for it.