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The Lie: A Novel
A provocative thriller about a dynamic Israeli lawyer—famous for defending accused Palestinians—whose views are tested when her own son is taken captive by Hezbollah: “The Lie is what great fiction is all about” (Stephen King).
Dahlia Barr is a devoted mother, soon-to-be divorced wife, lover of an American television correspondent. She is also a brash and successful Israeli attorney who is passionate about defending Palestinians accused of terrorism. One day, to her astonishment, the Israeli national police approach Dahlia with a tantalizing proposition: Join us, and become the government’s arbiter on when to use the harshest of interrogation methods—what some would call torture. Dahlia is intrigued. She has no intention of permitting torture, but can she change the system from within? She takes the job.
As Dahlia settles into her new role, her son Ari, a twenty-year-old lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces, is kidnapped by Hezbollah and whisked over the border to Lebanon. The one man who may hold the key to Ari’s rescue is locked in a cell in police headquarters. He is an Arab who has a long and complicated history with Dahlia. And he’s not talking. Yet.
A nail-biting thriller that “will stay with you” (The New York Times Book Review), The Lie is an unforgettable story of human beings on both sides of the terror equation whose lives turn out to share more in common than they ever could have imagined. “An utterly riveting thriller that is likely to rank as one of the year’s best…The Lie has everything: memorable characters, a compelling plot, white-knuckle military action, and an economy and clarity of prose that is direct, powerful, and at times beautiful” (Booklist, starred review).
Dahlia Barr is a devoted mother, soon-to-be divorced wife, lover of an American television correspondent. She is also a brash and successful Israeli attorney who is passionate about defending Palestinians accused of terrorism. One day, to her astonishment, the Israeli national police approach Dahlia with a tantalizing proposition: Join us, and become the government’s arbiter on when to use the harshest of interrogation methods—what some would call torture. Dahlia is intrigued. She has no intention of permitting torture, but can she change the system from within? She takes the job.
As Dahlia settles into her new role, her son Ari, a twenty-year-old lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces, is kidnapped by Hezbollah and whisked over the border to Lebanon. The one man who may hold the key to Ari’s rescue is locked in a cell in police headquarters. He is an Arab who has a long and complicated history with Dahlia. And he’s not talking. Yet.
A nail-biting thriller that “will stay with you” (The New York Times Book Review), The Lie is an unforgettable story of human beings on both sides of the terror equation whose lives turn out to share more in common than they ever could have imagined. “An utterly riveting thriller that is likely to rank as one of the year’s best…The Lie has everything: memorable characters, a compelling plot, white-knuckle military action, and an economy and clarity of prose that is direct, powerful, and at times beautiful” (Booklist, starred review).
240 pages, Audiobook
First published March 4, 2014
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April 9, 2014A page-turner that will engage your mind and emotions in a way few novels do. The narrative is headlong, the issues have never been more current, and the characters come alive from the page. This is a story about the lies we tell until the truth is forced upon us, and about divided countries, including those of the human heart. I started reading; I ended up experiencing. The Lie is what great fiction is all about.
April 21, 2014
The Lie begins with an intriguing scenario: what if an outspoken human rights lawyer is co-opted by the Israeli Police to decide who gets tortured and who doesn't? That this scenario gets overwhelmed by the thriller plot is one of this novel's chief frustrations.
Dahlia Barr is the lawyer in question, a firebrand defender of the many (mostly Arab) lost souls who end up in Israeli police dragnets, many because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time or have done something that looks suspicious, whether or not it really is. Barr's mother is a strident leftist activist; her soon-to-be ex-husband Dudik has gone the other way, becoming a wealthy corporate lawyer. Barr is recruited by Israel's national police force to be the person who reviews case files and determines whether a prisoner is eligible for "extraordinary means," a polite word for "torture." Despite some initial misgivings, she agrees, thinking she'll change the system from within. Of course, it turns out to not be that straightforward.
Author Kestin, an Israeli native and longtime journalist, knows how to put together the body of a story. The settings are well-observed and atmospheric, full of the little details that show he's been there and done that. His depiction of the workings of Israel's security apparatus also rings with authenticity. The prose is tight and fast, a peppering of short chapters that switch between the various players to push the plot forward. I read this (admittedly slim) volume in just a few hours.
That plot is a mixed blessing. It overlays Dahlia's dilemmas with a terrorist-attack thriller tale that clocks along briskly but isn't as exciting or engaging as it thinks it is. The mechanics are all there, but there's no heart to it, and it resolves itself much too easily and with a strange lack of tension. Daniel Silva did this kind of thing much better at the height of his Gabriel Allon series.
The greatest disappointment, however, comes with the characters. Dahlia starts as a well-rounded person; she's not easy to like, which is fine, but she's interesting to watch at the beginning. However, she casts off her beliefs and ethics altogether too lightly, without even the level of reflection or hesitation that her circumstances would allow, and by the end we see very little of the qualities that had put her in her position to begin with. I can't tell whether this is the author making a political statement or simply not providing his heroine with a full character arc. It's vexing in either case.
The other characters have similar faults. The villains are provided with little backstory or motivation. The primary baddie, Edward al-Masri, is basically a jerk. Dahlia's mother is a one-note screamer, her Arab "auntie" is nearly a saint, and her superiors in the police and security services end up being right about most everything. Her son Ari, around whom much of the thriller plot revolves, isn't fleshed out enough for us to really connect with him. Surprisingly, Dudik is perhaps the most sympathetic figure of the lot. It may very well be that in keeping his story confined in 230 pages, the author sacrificed the dimensionality that would have made this an excellent story rather than simply being serviceable.
I wanted to like The Lie a lot more than I eventually did. The writing has many things going right, the premise was promising, and the atmosphere can't be beat. In the end, though, it becomes a middle-of-the-road Israelis-versus-terrorists saga without a lot to say that hasn't been said before (and, in some instances, said better). Sadly, a missed opportunity.
Dahlia Barr is the lawyer in question, a firebrand defender of the many (mostly Arab) lost souls who end up in Israeli police dragnets, many because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time or have done something that looks suspicious, whether or not it really is. Barr's mother is a strident leftist activist; her soon-to-be ex-husband Dudik has gone the other way, becoming a wealthy corporate lawyer. Barr is recruited by Israel's national police force to be the person who reviews case files and determines whether a prisoner is eligible for "extraordinary means," a polite word for "torture." Despite some initial misgivings, she agrees, thinking she'll change the system from within. Of course, it turns out to not be that straightforward.
Author Kestin, an Israeli native and longtime journalist, knows how to put together the body of a story. The settings are well-observed and atmospheric, full of the little details that show he's been there and done that. His depiction of the workings of Israel's security apparatus also rings with authenticity. The prose is tight and fast, a peppering of short chapters that switch between the various players to push the plot forward. I read this (admittedly slim) volume in just a few hours.
That plot is a mixed blessing. It overlays Dahlia's dilemmas with a terrorist-attack thriller tale that clocks along briskly but isn't as exciting or engaging as it thinks it is. The mechanics are all there, but there's no heart to it, and it resolves itself much too easily and with a strange lack of tension. Daniel Silva did this kind of thing much better at the height of his Gabriel Allon series.
The greatest disappointment, however, comes with the characters. Dahlia starts as a well-rounded person; she's not easy to like, which is fine, but she's interesting to watch at the beginning. However, she casts off her beliefs and ethics altogether too lightly, without even the level of reflection or hesitation that her circumstances would allow, and by the end we see very little of the qualities that had put her in her position to begin with. I can't tell whether this is the author making a political statement or simply not providing his heroine with a full character arc. It's vexing in either case.
The other characters have similar faults. The villains are provided with little backstory or motivation. The primary baddie, Edward al-Masri, is basically a jerk. Dahlia's mother is a one-note screamer, her Arab "auntie" is nearly a saint, and her superiors in the police and security services end up being right about most everything. Her son Ari, around whom much of the thriller plot revolves, isn't fleshed out enough for us to really connect with him. Surprisingly, Dudik is perhaps the most sympathetic figure of the lot. It may very well be that in keeping his story confined in 230 pages, the author sacrificed the dimensionality that would have made this an excellent story rather than simply being serviceable.
I wanted to like The Lie a lot more than I eventually did. The writing has many things going right, the premise was promising, and the atmosphere can't be beat. In the end, though, it becomes a middle-of-the-road Israelis-versus-terrorists saga without a lot to say that hasn't been said before (and, in some instances, said better). Sadly, a missed opportunity.
October 26, 2017
I purchased and read this book because Stephen King wrote a good review on it. Good writing but the subject wasn't my thing. It was hard for me to get into this book but it did have a good ending.
July 12, 2014
This was an emotional roller coaster!
Excellent writing, excellent character building, and the depth of the story is incredible. On the surface, it's a thriller set in modern-day Israel and Lebanon as a team of commandos make a rescue attempt of two kidnapped Israeli soldiers. It's also a much deeper moral morass of what actions, if any, should be taken to find the whereabouts of the soldiers, to what level the protagonists will stoop, and how it will impact the political will of the nation. There are no "good guys" here, just two races that have been at war for so long that they've forgotten why they are fighting or how it started in the first place.
Highly recommended!
Excellent writing, excellent character building, and the depth of the story is incredible. On the surface, it's a thriller set in modern-day Israel and Lebanon as a team of commandos make a rescue attempt of two kidnapped Israeli soldiers. It's also a much deeper moral morass of what actions, if any, should be taken to find the whereabouts of the soldiers, to what level the protagonists will stoop, and how it will impact the political will of the nation. There are no "good guys" here, just two races that have been at war for so long that they've forgotten why they are fighting or how it started in the first place.
Highly recommended!
July 24, 2014
Human rights lawyer Dahlia Barr had represented Palestinians for a number of years; as a tough, no nonsense sort of person she found herself rather shocked to be offered the job of working with the Israeli Police Force – her position would be to approve torture within the government under certain circumstances.
Mother to sons Ari and Uri, soon to be divorced from husband Dudik, the suddenness of the attack by Hezbollah soldiers on the border and the subsequent kidnapping of Ari as well as another young soldier had Dahlia finding out something about herself she wasn’t aware was inside…
When professor and activist, Edward Al-Masri who had been arrested at the end of a flight from Canada was thought to have ties to Ari’s kidnapping, Dahlia knew she’d have to talk to him. But would Al-Masri talk to her?
This political thriller is a fairly quick read with an intense plot and fast pace. There are a lot of characters to keep track of from terrorists to government officials, family members and soldiers. My favourite character was “auntie” who loved Dahlia and had been close to her own mother since birth. There was an extreme amount of racism within the story but there was also courage and violence.
With thanks to Scribe Publications for my copy to read and review.
Mother to sons Ari and Uri, soon to be divorced from husband Dudik, the suddenness of the attack by Hezbollah soldiers on the border and the subsequent kidnapping of Ari as well as another young soldier had Dahlia finding out something about herself she wasn’t aware was inside…
When professor and activist, Edward Al-Masri who had been arrested at the end of a flight from Canada was thought to have ties to Ari’s kidnapping, Dahlia knew she’d have to talk to him. But would Al-Masri talk to her?
This political thriller is a fairly quick read with an intense plot and fast pace. There are a lot of characters to keep track of from terrorists to government officials, family members and soldiers. My favourite character was “auntie” who loved Dahlia and had been close to her own mother since birth. There was an extreme amount of racism within the story but there was also courage and violence.
With thanks to Scribe Publications for my copy to read and review.
November 7, 2014
Once again a reading group steered me to a book I'd never heard about and am glad I read. The Lie is set in Israel and though it is standard fare as thrillers go, the author (a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces) gives readers a provocative look at today's issues.
Dahlia Barr, a tough attorney based in Jerusalem and known for defending Palestinians accused of terrorism, accepts recruitment into the Israeli security establishment. She believes she can change the system from within and do away with torture.
Then her 21 year old son, a soldier, is kidnapped by Hezbollah and the political becomes personal for Dahlia.
I have read David Grossman's To The End Of The Land and Amos Oz's A Tale of Love and Darkness, not to mention a great amount of historical fiction about war. It is the mothers who suffer most, at least from my point of view.
In this novel I found a mother who was in a position to do much more than wait at home in fear and grief but that very position put her straight into the most difficult conflict of her life. What a gripping story.
October 7, 2014
Each chapter averages roughly two pages, and "the lie" is revealed on the actual first page of the book. It features the same level of complexity about Israeli/Palestinian relations that you might get from reading American news for a week, and even fewer less-than-superficial character detail. There is no reason for The Lie to exist. I've enjoyed reading certain subreddits about the Middle East far more than I enjoyed this book.
November 23, 2016
The Lie is a fast-paced novel that questions the morality of both sides of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict on both the geopolitical and the very personal level.
I found it very upsetting but, sadly, not surprising or shocking. The brevity of the book prevents it from examining the subject matter that deeply. Perhaps that's not a bad thing. Unless you've been living in a cave for the last however many years, you're unlikely to learn anything new from this book but it's a powerful piece nonetheless and worth a read.
I found it very upsetting but, sadly, not surprising or shocking. The brevity of the book prevents it from examining the subject matter that deeply. Perhaps that's not a bad thing. Unless you've been living in a cave for the last however many years, you're unlikely to learn anything new from this book but it's a powerful piece nonetheless and worth a read.
July 12, 2014
This is one of the most racist books I have read. Perhaps not in the class of Mein Kampf or the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, but since it masquerades as detective fiction, one could argue that it is as dangerous. If the dialogue had been in the mouths of Klu Klux Klan members rather than Israeli's, the book never could have been published. It was an political diatribe, as well as an apologetic for the use of torture. Torture in real life does not supply information, it's about terror and power. If you torture me I'll tell you whatever you want to hear, it may or may not be the truth.
The characters were one-dimensional. The plot twist at the end with switched babies stupid and predictable. It is NOT a book about the Israeli left, no matter what the author says. However, this book, obviously based on the author's experience in the Israeli, does give examples of propaganda in Israel today, provides insights into the mores of Israeli soldiers, and explains why the war with the Palestinians continues. There are better ways of giving that explanation than a book dripping with hate.
The characters were one-dimensional. The plot twist at the end with switched babies stupid and predictable. It is NOT a book about the Israeli left, no matter what the author says. However, this book, obviously based on the author's experience in the Israeli, does give examples of propaganda in Israel today, provides insights into the mores of Israeli soldiers, and explains why the war with the Palestinians continues. There are better ways of giving that explanation than a book dripping with hate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2014
“The Lie” by Hesh Kestin, published by Scribner.
Category – Fiction/Literature Publication Date – March 04, 2014
“The Lie” is a story based on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, incorporating the legality and morality of the actions taken on both sides.
Mohammed (Edward) Al-Masri is a respected professor in Canada traveling to Israel. He is confronted by Israeli customs and is found to be smuggling Euros into Israel. He is jailed and becomes a pawn for the Palestinian cause.
Dahlia Barr is a prominent Israeli lawyer who has championed the cause of human rights, who becomes a pawn of the Israeli government when she takes on the job of deciding when extraordinary methods of interrogation can be used.
Her oldest son is serving in the Army and is captured by a Palestinian raiding party. He is being tortured and held for the ransom of Al-Masri.
A daring raid is made by the Israelis into Beirut to free Dahlia’s son. This proves to be a page turning, nail biting part of the book that demonstrates the kind of co-ordination necessary to pull off a clandestine operation.
Dahlia’s mother, who is a member of the Citizens in Black, who are made up of both Israeli and Palestinians demonstrating for peace becomes a major player when she is the only match to provide a kidney for her grandson.
The reader should be prepared for an unexpected and totally surprising to the end of the book when “The Lie” is revealed.
Category – Fiction/Literature Publication Date – March 04, 2014
“The Lie” is a story based on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, incorporating the legality and morality of the actions taken on both sides.
Mohammed (Edward) Al-Masri is a respected professor in Canada traveling to Israel. He is confronted by Israeli customs and is found to be smuggling Euros into Israel. He is jailed and becomes a pawn for the Palestinian cause.
Dahlia Barr is a prominent Israeli lawyer who has championed the cause of human rights, who becomes a pawn of the Israeli government when she takes on the job of deciding when extraordinary methods of interrogation can be used.
Her oldest son is serving in the Army and is captured by a Palestinian raiding party. He is being tortured and held for the ransom of Al-Masri.
A daring raid is made by the Israelis into Beirut to free Dahlia’s son. This proves to be a page turning, nail biting part of the book that demonstrates the kind of co-ordination necessary to pull off a clandestine operation.
Dahlia’s mother, who is a member of the Citizens in Black, who are made up of both Israeli and Palestinians demonstrating for peace becomes a major player when she is the only match to provide a kidney for her grandson.
The reader should be prepared for an unexpected and totally surprising to the end of the book when “The Lie” is revealed.
September 8, 2016
A brilliant thriller. Pay very close attention to the prologue. I may re read because it's very cleverly written. A good plot, good characters, and super easy to read.
July 15, 2014
I picked up a copy of “The Lie” because I absolutely loved Kestin’s last book, “The Iron Will Of Shoeshine Cats”. Unfortunately the joyous experience I had with that book wasn’t repeated here. They’re very different books thematically and stylistically and while I really wanted to like this book, I couldn’t for several reasons.
There are aspects I liked: the writing is taut, economic, and illustrative. Kestin’s ability to bring a setting to life is really fantastic and transports the reader there. It’s a real page-turner and quite entertaining; the chapters are short and leave you with a hunger for more, and in this sense it achieves one of the primary aims of any thriller. I finished it quickly which is usually a good sign.
There are two main, interconnected problems for me. The main thing, and it’s a big one, is caricaturing of the Arab/Muslim characters. Fawaz, Al-Masri and Tawfeek Nur-Al-Din are at best a little unbelievable and at worst dangerous, almost racist cartoons. Kestin does attempt balance by at the end showing a news story depicting the Lebanese perspective of the raid that comprises the climax of the book, but overall the feeling is very Israeli-centric and doesn’t show a great empathy for the “other”. It read at times like some kind of propaganda tale and made me take a disliking to it. As a consequence of this kind of one-dimensionality, the second big problem is that the motivation of the characters at times seems flawed and weird. Plus the twist at the end felt forced and contrived.
I’ll still give Kestin’s next book a go, but overall I’d stay away from this one.
There are aspects I liked: the writing is taut, economic, and illustrative. Kestin’s ability to bring a setting to life is really fantastic and transports the reader there. It’s a real page-turner and quite entertaining; the chapters are short and leave you with a hunger for more, and in this sense it achieves one of the primary aims of any thriller. I finished it quickly which is usually a good sign.
There are two main, interconnected problems for me. The main thing, and it’s a big one, is caricaturing of the Arab/Muslim characters. Fawaz, Al-Masri and Tawfeek Nur-Al-Din are at best a little unbelievable and at worst dangerous, almost racist cartoons. Kestin does attempt balance by at the end showing a news story depicting the Lebanese perspective of the raid that comprises the climax of the book, but overall the feeling is very Israeli-centric and doesn’t show a great empathy for the “other”. It read at times like some kind of propaganda tale and made me take a disliking to it. As a consequence of this kind of one-dimensionality, the second big problem is that the motivation of the characters at times seems flawed and weird. Plus the twist at the end felt forced and contrived.
I’ll still give Kestin’s next book a go, but overall I’d stay away from this one.
January 26, 2018
An incredibly deft, swift, thought-provoking thriller that you can read in a day. It goes straight to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and you don't have to be especially sensitive or knowledgeable about the deep complexities of that conflict to appreciate how hard-hitting this novel is. Kestin's a veteran not only of foreign correspondence for major newspapers and media, but of the Israeli Defense Forces as well, and while the book's clearly written from an Israeli point of view, it boldly acknowledges that the line between its heroes and villains is anything but black and white. Also, Stephen King's review--which compelled me to read this in the first place--is worth quoting here:
"A page-turner that will engage your mind and emotions in a way few novels do. The narrative is headlong, the issues have never been more current, and the characters come alive from the page. This is a story about the lies we tell until the truth is forced upon us, and about divided countries, including those of the human heart. I started reading; I ended up experiencing. The Lie is what great fiction is all about."
"A page-turner that will engage your mind and emotions in a way few novels do. The narrative is headlong, the issues have never been more current, and the characters come alive from the page. This is a story about the lies we tell until the truth is forced upon us, and about divided countries, including those of the human heart. I started reading; I ended up experiencing. The Lie is what great fiction is all about."
March 9, 2014
This one's a thriller, set in contemporary Israel -- a fast-moving, tense clash rooted in the Middle Eastern conflict. To call the book cinematic should take nothing away from its literary muscle. It's a tightly plotted book, a political game of nerve with some seriously charismatic special ops thrown in for good measure.
The Lie is really a series of lies, ranging from national in scope to small and deeply personal. Kestin's protagonist, Dahlia Barr, is an Israeli Jewish human rights attorney who has made it her business for years to represent Palestinians. When she is persuaded to work for the Israeli Police Force arbitrating the use of "extraordinary means," she finds herself caught between extreme political factions and family tensions.
We learn, among other things, that Israelis refer to the Arabs disparagingly as "cousins," in reference to their common ancestors, and that cockroaches aren't kosher.
As in all thrillers, there's a payoff; to say more would be unfair to future readers. But Kestin is clearly having fun here.
The Lie is really a series of lies, ranging from national in scope to small and deeply personal. Kestin's protagonist, Dahlia Barr, is an Israeli Jewish human rights attorney who has made it her business for years to represent Palestinians. When she is persuaded to work for the Israeli Police Force arbitrating the use of "extraordinary means," she finds herself caught between extreme political factions and family tensions.
We learn, among other things, that Israelis refer to the Arabs disparagingly as "cousins," in reference to their common ancestors, and that cockroaches aren't kosher.
As in all thrillers, there's a payoff; to say more would be unfair to future readers. But Kestin is clearly having fun here.
April 29, 2014
A dark political thriller set amidst the backdrop of the chaotic Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Two things become apparent very quickly. The main protagonist, 44 year-old lawyer Dahlia Barr is a tough cookie in a volatile and very male dominated environment. And secondly how much unadulterated hatred the two races have for each other.
Laced with terrorism, violence, cowardice and courage, this is a tightly written, streamlined espionage plot with memorable and strong characters and a gripping final twist, revealing both 'the lie' and ultimately the insanity of the race-related hatred.
I received this book via an online giveaway on Goodreads and would like to thank Scribe Publishers and the moderators of Aussie Readers online group (Brenda) for my Advanced Reading Copy which I am pleased to review positively and recommend.
Laced with terrorism, violence, cowardice and courage, this is a tightly written, streamlined espionage plot with memorable and strong characters and a gripping final twist, revealing both 'the lie' and ultimately the insanity of the race-related hatred.
I received this book via an online giveaway on Goodreads and would like to thank Scribe Publishers and the moderators of Aussie Readers online group (Brenda) for my Advanced Reading Copy which I am pleased to review positively and recommend.
October 25, 2014
I won this on goodreads recently. It's an action type thriller in the vein of such things as Johnathan Holt's Carnivia trilogy and Steig Larsson's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in that it's an intelligent book, it's a thriller, and it features the culture, politics and contemporary goings on of the country it's set in. Having said that, I don't think this book is as good as the previously mentioned trilogies, for reasons I will come to shortly.
This one is mostly set in Israel, so for politics and general intrigue, there's plenty of fodder available. This isn't a stable or happy part of the world, and The Lie is certainly based upon the Jewish - Arab conflicts, as well as the Israeli - Lebanon issues. I can't say I'm an expert in this area, so I muddle my way along with the news. So the very curious gauntlet the author lays down at the start, stating that there are a couple of deliberate mistakes (why would you do that?) in the book, can you spot them? passed me by completely.
Israel comes across as a militarised, scary place in this book. It's about Dahlia Barr, a human rights Israeli lawyer who defends Palestinians and fights the good cause. She's getting divorced, and her two sons are becoming young men. She gets a very odd job offer from the government, to become she who decides when the police may use torture on suspects. Seeing this as an opportunity to fight the good cause and save some souls, she takes them up on the offer.
At the same time an Israeli Arab who now lives in Canada, Edward Al-Masri, purposefully packs a suspicious suitcase and flys to Israel. And gets arrested by customs. And whilst that is happening, an army patrol at the Lebanese border, including one of Dahlia's two sons, is attacked, and the son is kidnapped. A video of him being tortured by Hezbollah shortly comes out. Because all of these things happened at once, it is assumed that Al-Masri is involved in the kidnapping, even though he just says the money in his suitcase was for his mother. Very disturbingly, Dahlia flicks from saviour of the underdog to nasty cigarette weilding torturer in the blink of an eye. I don't know whether the author is trying to say something about torture, or that any mother fighting for her child will drop all morals and do what it takes, but I found the very sudden change in character rather chilling.
Then it goes a bit Saving Private Ryan. There are two lads that have been kidnapped. So a massive team of undercover Israeli army dudes are sent into Lebanon to rescue them - the ratio is disturbing on how many people could potentially be killed to get two lads back; and further more, a lot of Lebanese people are dispatched in the rescue effort. Human life is frighteningly cheap in these troubled times.
What I struggled with in this book is how it suddenly ran out of steam and gave up. Al-Masri doesn't seem to have been involved and essentially turns into a postscript - he was put in prison for embazzling, but someone thought he'd given up the kidnappers' address (he hadn't) and kills him. And THE LIE, which I'm assuming isn't meant to be a surprise as it was essentially spelt out for us at the start of the book, comes to light when the son needs a kidney donor NOW or he will die, and mother,father and brother aren't a suitable match. They go to granny, whom they don't like (the feeling is mutual), but whom they need the organs of, so Dahlia uses the police from her new job to arrest granny and ship her to hospital (ek!)... but it's all in vain, because granny is not a relation, having callously swapped babies with an Arab lady in the next bed, who didn't dare tell her husband that she'd had yet another girl. So Dahlia is of Arab descent and Al-Masri is of Jewish descent. But the operation is performed and the book just ends, as if this LIE, that I'm assuming the book is titled after, didn't actually mean much to anyone in the end. In short, the conclusion of all of these various plots felt rather unsatisfactory to me.
This one is mostly set in Israel, so for politics and general intrigue, there's plenty of fodder available. This isn't a stable or happy part of the world, and The Lie is certainly based upon the Jewish - Arab conflicts, as well as the Israeli - Lebanon issues. I can't say I'm an expert in this area, so I muddle my way along with the news. So the very curious gauntlet the author lays down at the start, stating that there are a couple of deliberate mistakes (why would you do that?) in the book, can you spot them? passed me by completely.
Israel comes across as a militarised, scary place in this book. It's about Dahlia Barr, a human rights Israeli lawyer who defends Palestinians and fights the good cause. She's getting divorced, and her two sons are becoming young men. She gets a very odd job offer from the government, to become she who decides when the police may use torture on suspects. Seeing this as an opportunity to fight the good cause and save some souls, she takes them up on the offer.
At the same time an Israeli Arab who now lives in Canada, Edward Al-Masri, purposefully packs a suspicious suitcase and flys to Israel. And gets arrested by customs. And whilst that is happening, an army patrol at the Lebanese border, including one of Dahlia's two sons, is attacked, and the son is kidnapped. A video of him being tortured by Hezbollah shortly comes out. Because all of these things happened at once, it is assumed that Al-Masri is involved in the kidnapping, even though he just says the money in his suitcase was for his mother. Very disturbingly, Dahlia flicks from saviour of the underdog to nasty cigarette weilding torturer in the blink of an eye. I don't know whether the author is trying to say something about torture, or that any mother fighting for her child will drop all morals and do what it takes, but I found the very sudden change in character rather chilling.
Then it goes a bit Saving Private Ryan. There are two lads that have been kidnapped. So a massive team of undercover Israeli army dudes are sent into Lebanon to rescue them - the ratio is disturbing on how many people could potentially be killed to get two lads back; and further more, a lot of Lebanese people are dispatched in the rescue effort. Human life is frighteningly cheap in these troubled times.
What I struggled with in this book is how it suddenly ran out of steam and gave up. Al-Masri doesn't seem to have been involved and essentially turns into a postscript - he was put in prison for embazzling, but someone thought he'd given up the kidnappers' address (he hadn't) and kills him. And THE LIE, which I'm assuming isn't meant to be a surprise as it was essentially spelt out for us at the start of the book, comes to light when the son needs a kidney donor NOW or he will die, and mother,father and brother aren't a suitable match. They go to granny, whom they don't like (the feeling is mutual), but whom they need the organs of, so Dahlia uses the police from her new job to arrest granny and ship her to hospital (ek!)... but it's all in vain, because granny is not a relation, having callously swapped babies with an Arab lady in the next bed, who didn't dare tell her husband that she'd had yet another girl. So Dahlia is of Arab descent and Al-Masri is of Jewish descent. But the operation is performed and the book just ends, as if this LIE, that I'm assuming the book is titled after, didn't actually mean much to anyone in the end. In short, the conclusion of all of these various plots felt rather unsatisfactory to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2014
This isn’t a lengthy book, standing at just over 200 pages long and some chapters at only half a page and yet it still took me about three days to read.
The reason being that my political and religious knowledge around the area I was reading about is extremely limited so I was reading slowly in order that I understood what was behind the actions that were being taken in the book.
Bearing that in mind though, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. The story is well told and does not rely on long explanations or descriptions to keep your focus. It says what it needs to say and moves on, and even in such a short novel, it manages to tell a complex story because of this leanness with prose.
Contradictory to these statements, the characters do feel fully fleshed out though, especially Dhalia Barr whom we follow as she changes careers before finding herself in the predicament of decision maker and mother when her son is taken hostage.
I did find it a little difficult to get into at first because of the unknown territory for me, but I am glad I stuck with it because it’s one of those great little novels that are worth sticking with when at the end you feel you have not only achieved, but become more aware in the process.
With thanks to the author and publisher Scribe for my review copy.
The reason being that my political and religious knowledge around the area I was reading about is extremely limited so I was reading slowly in order that I understood what was behind the actions that were being taken in the book.
Bearing that in mind though, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. The story is well told and does not rely on long explanations or descriptions to keep your focus. It says what it needs to say and moves on, and even in such a short novel, it manages to tell a complex story because of this leanness with prose.
Contradictory to these statements, the characters do feel fully fleshed out though, especially Dhalia Barr whom we follow as she changes careers before finding herself in the predicament of decision maker and mother when her son is taken hostage.
I did find it a little difficult to get into at first because of the unknown territory for me, but I am glad I stuck with it because it’s one of those great little novels that are worth sticking with when at the end you feel you have not only achieved, but become more aware in the process.
With thanks to the author and publisher Scribe for my review copy.
August 25, 2014
My favorite thing about this book was the idea that the Israelis and the Arabs are cousins who just squabble.
My least favorite thing about the book was the stereotyping. If you accept the omniscient author's description, one side of this conflict is smart, brash, hard-working, honest, generous and reliable. The other side is dumb, lazy, mean, dishonest, selfish and violent. I used to accept this as simply true, but recent reporting has shown me that a lot of the founding stories we hear and repeat about the middle east are sculpted to reassure one side that it is in the right, regardless of the actual events taking place.
The eponymous lie concerns parentage, but a skeptical reader could easily draw another conclusion.
My least favorite thing about the book was the stereotyping. If you accept the omniscient author's description, one side of this conflict is smart, brash, hard-working, honest, generous and reliable. The other side is dumb, lazy, mean, dishonest, selfish and violent. I used to accept this as simply true, but recent reporting has shown me that a lot of the founding stories we hear and repeat about the middle east are sculpted to reassure one side that it is in the right, regardless of the actual events taking place.
The eponymous lie concerns parentage, but a skeptical reader could easily draw another conclusion.
March 27, 2014
I have just read The Lie by Hesh Kestin - thoroughly enjoyed this one. Dahlia is a controversial Israeli attorney specializes in defending Palestinians accused of terrorism. Her son Ari, a twenty-year-old lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces, is kidnapped by Hezbollah and whisked over the border to Lebanon. It is a story of human beings on both sides of the terror equation whose lives turn out to share more in common than they—and the reader—could ever have imagined.
September 19, 2015
Fast moving, political and personal drama set in Israel and Lebanon. Fascinating characters and an inside look into the situation in the Middle East. About 60 pages in it picks up like a high speed train and doesn't let go. Get ready to question the characters' actions and wonder what you'd do.
February 20, 2017
This reads more like a screen play that a novel in a lot of ways. I didn't really warm to any of the characters very much but I got a bit of an insight into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
October 20, 2025
Hesh Kestin is rapidly becoming my newest favorite author. Four and a half stars for writing and the craft of wickedly effective storytelling, with bonus points for an intimate look at rare material from an insider's perspective. Man, can he write an ending.
Companion read: Edeet Ravel's stunning novel, "Look For Me."
Companion read: Edeet Ravel's stunning novel, "Look For Me."
July 19, 2019
Random read based on Boris’ review of another of Kestin’s novels. First rate and fascinating every twist and turn. The journey through the Israeli conflict with their neighbors was breathtaking and too real for fiction. I’m going to go on a Kestin binge. Thanks Boris
July 5, 2016
Mysterious Book Report No. 164
by John Dwaine McKenna
There’s times when a novel comes along that is so meaningful, so packed with lessons for living, and yes, so moral in tone, that I wish everyone in the world would read it and draw their own conclusions about it. This week’s MBR number 164 is such a one. I can only hope that with your help, this book report will go viral. So please . . . read this review . . . seek out and read the book, get your own take. Then send this review to all of your friends and together, maybe we can start to make a difference in the world . . . a world in which perhaps, we are all more alike than dissimilar.
The Lie, (Scribner, $24.00, 229 pages, ISBN 978-1-4767-4009-6) is written by Hesh Kestin, “a former foreign correspondent in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa reporting on international terrorism, war, arms dealing, espionage and shadowy global business dealings.” He is also an eighteen-year old veteran of the Israel Defense Forces. He is a man who has been there, seen much and has exceptional stories to write.
The Lie takes place in Israel, and focuses on an attorney named Dahlia Barr. She’s a sabra, a native born Israeli, who makes her living defending Palestinian terrorists in court. She’s a brilliant attorney, controversial, beautiful . . . about to be divorced and has a lover who’s an American television correspondent. Her life takes an extreme—and fundamental—change when she’s asked to join the Israeli security forces and become the nation’s arbiter with regards to torture. She will be the sole decision maker as to when and how the harshest methods of interrogation will be used. She accepts, having no intention of ever letting ‘enhanced interview techniques’ be used. But then, shortly after accepting her new position, her son Ari, a lieutenant in the Israeli Defense Forces, is captured by Hezbollah sappers and taken into captivity in Lebanon. Frantic, she looks to Edward al-Masri, an Israeli-Arab citizen living in Canada who’s currently being held in an Israeli jail for currency-smuggling, and with whom Dahlia has a long and complex history. He may hold the key to her son’s release, but he’s refusing to say anything . . . and may have to be questioned more ‘vigorously.’ This novel is jam-packed with moral dilemmas and political intrigue before leading to a stunning conclusion that you’ll never see coming. Given the recent events between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, this superb novel should be read by everyone and the sooner the better, for it’s message is a moral one that will leave you thinking and talking about it long after you finish reading it.
Like the review? The greatest compliment you can give is to share it with others on Facebook and follow us on Goodreads.
www.Facebook.com/JohnDwaineMcKenna
www.Goodreads.com/JohnDwaineMcKenna
by John Dwaine McKenna
There’s times when a novel comes along that is so meaningful, so packed with lessons for living, and yes, so moral in tone, that I wish everyone in the world would read it and draw their own conclusions about it. This week’s MBR number 164 is such a one. I can only hope that with your help, this book report will go viral. So please . . . read this review . . . seek out and read the book, get your own take. Then send this review to all of your friends and together, maybe we can start to make a difference in the world . . . a world in which perhaps, we are all more alike than dissimilar.
The Lie, (Scribner, $24.00, 229 pages, ISBN 978-1-4767-4009-6) is written by Hesh Kestin, “a former foreign correspondent in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa reporting on international terrorism, war, arms dealing, espionage and shadowy global business dealings.” He is also an eighteen-year old veteran of the Israel Defense Forces. He is a man who has been there, seen much and has exceptional stories to write.
The Lie takes place in Israel, and focuses on an attorney named Dahlia Barr. She’s a sabra, a native born Israeli, who makes her living defending Palestinian terrorists in court. She’s a brilliant attorney, controversial, beautiful . . . about to be divorced and has a lover who’s an American television correspondent. Her life takes an extreme—and fundamental—change when she’s asked to join the Israeli security forces and become the nation’s arbiter with regards to torture. She will be the sole decision maker as to when and how the harshest methods of interrogation will be used. She accepts, having no intention of ever letting ‘enhanced interview techniques’ be used. But then, shortly after accepting her new position, her son Ari, a lieutenant in the Israeli Defense Forces, is captured by Hezbollah sappers and taken into captivity in Lebanon. Frantic, she looks to Edward al-Masri, an Israeli-Arab citizen living in Canada who’s currently being held in an Israeli jail for currency-smuggling, and with whom Dahlia has a long and complex history. He may hold the key to her son’s release, but he’s refusing to say anything . . . and may have to be questioned more ‘vigorously.’ This novel is jam-packed with moral dilemmas and political intrigue before leading to a stunning conclusion that you’ll never see coming. Given the recent events between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, this superb novel should be read by everyone and the sooner the better, for it’s message is a moral one that will leave you thinking and talking about it long after you finish reading it.
Like the review? The greatest compliment you can give is to share it with others on Facebook and follow us on Goodreads.
www.Facebook.com/JohnDwaineMcKenna
www.Goodreads.com/JohnDwaineMcKenna
March 6, 2014
The Lie by Hesh Kestin packs a hard wallop and offers an inside look at the Israeli army and the Knesset in action as it seeks to free some prisoners taken captive by Hezbollah.
Dahlia Barr is known primarily as a human rights activist and attorney, representing the poor and politically unpopular. Therefore, she is shocked when Zalman Arad from the police department calls upon her to offer her a job as Chief Superintendent and Special Advisor for Extraordinary Measures to the Chief Superintendent of Police. Basically, this job will put Dahlia in charge of torture - how and when it will be used and with what force.
Dahlia is in the process of divorcing her husband, Dudik and she has a lover named Floyd who works for CNN. As the novel opens, a Canadian citizen named Mohammed Al-Asri is taken into Israeli custody for trying to bring one million dollars of currency into the country. At the same time two men are kidnapped by Hezbollah. One is a Bedouin tracker and the other is an army officer - Dahlia's son. The secret service believe there is a conection between these two events. The Hezballah officer in charge of the kidnapping is Tawfeek Nur-Al-Din, a Lebanese.
Erika's mother is one of the people who demonstrate in front of the Knesset every day against the fascist state. Along with her friend Zeinab, an auntie to Dahlia growing up, they camp in from the knesset and picket with signs and slogans. Erika was a cold, cold mother and the only kindness Dahlia received as a child was from Zeinab, who is Al-Masri's mother.
When Dahlia sees the videos of her son, Ari's, torture on CNN, she has no qualms about harming Al-Masri. Her political position turns180 degrees and she is comfortable burning cigarettes on his chest to attain the information she needs to find out where her son is. The torture works its miracles and a fleet of Israeli soldiers are sent to get Ari and the Bedouin.
Al-Masri is a gadfly who likes to appear on CNN and CBS. He also writes books. Though born in Israel, he renounced his Israeli heritage and has given up his given name of Mohammed for Edward and has taken on Canadian citizenship. Dahlia is sure he holds the key to where Ari is and how to find him.
The book teaches the reader quite a lot about Israel. For instance, there is no word for 'subtlety in the Hebrew language. People don't emigrate to Israel, but rather they ascend to this land.
The book is a wonderful thriller that is delivered in short, succinct chapters that hold ho punches. It is hard-boiled all the way. The writing is astute and perspicacious about the culture. It looks closely, without embarrassment. at the roots and follow up to terrorism. I read this in one sitting and look forward to Mr. Kestin's next book.
Dahlia Barr is known primarily as a human rights activist and attorney, representing the poor and politically unpopular. Therefore, she is shocked when Zalman Arad from the police department calls upon her to offer her a job as Chief Superintendent and Special Advisor for Extraordinary Measures to the Chief Superintendent of Police. Basically, this job will put Dahlia in charge of torture - how and when it will be used and with what force.
Dahlia is in the process of divorcing her husband, Dudik and she has a lover named Floyd who works for CNN. As the novel opens, a Canadian citizen named Mohammed Al-Asri is taken into Israeli custody for trying to bring one million dollars of currency into the country. At the same time two men are kidnapped by Hezbollah. One is a Bedouin tracker and the other is an army officer - Dahlia's son. The secret service believe there is a conection between these two events. The Hezballah officer in charge of the kidnapping is Tawfeek Nur-Al-Din, a Lebanese.
Erika's mother is one of the people who demonstrate in front of the Knesset every day against the fascist state. Along with her friend Zeinab, an auntie to Dahlia growing up, they camp in from the knesset and picket with signs and slogans. Erika was a cold, cold mother and the only kindness Dahlia received as a child was from Zeinab, who is Al-Masri's mother.
When Dahlia sees the videos of her son, Ari's, torture on CNN, she has no qualms about harming Al-Masri. Her political position turns180 degrees and she is comfortable burning cigarettes on his chest to attain the information she needs to find out where her son is. The torture works its miracles and a fleet of Israeli soldiers are sent to get Ari and the Bedouin.
Al-Masri is a gadfly who likes to appear on CNN and CBS. He also writes books. Though born in Israel, he renounced his Israeli heritage and has given up his given name of Mohammed for Edward and has taken on Canadian citizenship. Dahlia is sure he holds the key to where Ari is and how to find him.
The book teaches the reader quite a lot about Israel. For instance, there is no word for 'subtlety in the Hebrew language. People don't emigrate to Israel, but rather they ascend to this land.
The book is a wonderful thriller that is delivered in short, succinct chapters that hold ho punches. It is hard-boiled all the way. The writing is astute and perspicacious about the culture. It looks closely, without embarrassment. at the roots and follow up to terrorism. I read this in one sitting and look forward to Mr. Kestin's next book.
March 23, 2014
Dahlia Barr is a a leftist Israeli attorney who is despised by many of her Jewish peers because she defends Palestinians--even terrorists--in court. She is a bold advocate for the civil rights of Palestinians.
Dahlia's reputation makes her, in the eyes of the Israeli government, the perfect candidate for a new job, one which she reluctantly accepts. In times of great threat or under dire circumstances, the Israelis believe it may be necessary to torture prisoners, but who is to decide when it is appropriate to torture? Who better than the noted defender of Palestinian civilian rights, Dahlia Barr?
Thus, Dahlia finds herself in a position she never imagined. She tells herself that, although she despises what she is being asked to do, at least she will render better judgments on these matters than would most other Israelis in her position, others who do not view the Palestinians as charitably as does she.
But will Dahlia be able to hold to her ideals when her own son is captured by Hezbollah? Will she suddenly come to view the torture of a Palestinian prisoner as necessary when her own son's life is on the line?
These are the questions that are raised in this short novel that is, in many other facets, a typical military thriller. But the issues it addresses are in no way typical, and the questions asked are certainly not easy. The novel asks deep questions about whether how we see ourselves really matches up to who we are in reality, whether our stated values really are our true values when we face very difficult choices.
Side note: there is one other mystery, which is set out in the prologue. This mystery is rather transparent and so not really terribly mysterious at all, but it provides for an interesting twist in this drama and makes this an even more fascinating tale.
Dahlia's reputation makes her, in the eyes of the Israeli government, the perfect candidate for a new job, one which she reluctantly accepts. In times of great threat or under dire circumstances, the Israelis believe it may be necessary to torture prisoners, but who is to decide when it is appropriate to torture? Who better than the noted defender of Palestinian civilian rights, Dahlia Barr?
Thus, Dahlia finds herself in a position she never imagined. She tells herself that, although she despises what she is being asked to do, at least she will render better judgments on these matters than would most other Israelis in her position, others who do not view the Palestinians as charitably as does she.
But will Dahlia be able to hold to her ideals when her own son is captured by Hezbollah? Will she suddenly come to view the torture of a Palestinian prisoner as necessary when her own son's life is on the line?
These are the questions that are raised in this short novel that is, in many other facets, a typical military thriller. But the issues it addresses are in no way typical, and the questions asked are certainly not easy. The novel asks deep questions about whether how we see ourselves really matches up to who we are in reality, whether our stated values really are our true values when we face very difficult choices.
Side note: there is one other mystery, which is set out in the prologue. This mystery is rather transparent and so not really terribly mysterious at all, but it provides for an interesting twist in this drama and makes this an even more fascinating tale.
April 18, 2014
Ah, to be manipulated...
In the seventies there was Dirty Harry showing us it was alright, noble even, to blow away the bad guys with our 44 Magnums. Those creeps don't deserve any rights. We know they're criminals, killers, rapists. They deserve everything we give them.
A few years ago there was Jack Bauer. Sure he killed and tortured with impunity, but it was all good. He only did it to the really bad guys. They had it coming.
The problem, of course, is that you never see Dirty Harry or Jack Bauer torturing an innocent person. They never make mistakes. Never kill a clerk at the Wawa Food Market who kind of looks a little like the bad guy.
That's the manipulation. They make it seem that torture is effective. That quick action trumps thoughtful planning, and that following rules is for chumps.
The Lie: A Novel by Hesh Kestin follows in the steps of Eastwood and the producers of 24. The story follows a liberal defense attorney in Isreal who works to assist arab prisoners. She is against "extreme measures" in questioning (i.e. torture)until her son is taken by Hezbollah. Then her priorities are set right.
Yes, it's over the top. All the villians are really bad. The Isreali police/IDF staffs only brave noble men and women. The author, Hesh Kestin, again and again bemoans how the "media from the West" (America) needlessly complicates things and confuses the situation when a simple plan of just going in guns a-blazin' will work.
But I did give this 4 stars because it's great sometimes to be manipulated.
I devoured this book. I felt for the families of the captured soldiers. I hated the ruthless terrorists--I wanted them to die. Kestin did a great job ratcheting up the tension and the stakes. By the end of the book I was exhausted.
Great story, well written and executed.
The manipulation worked.
In the seventies there was Dirty Harry showing us it was alright, noble even, to blow away the bad guys with our 44 Magnums. Those creeps don't deserve any rights. We know they're criminals, killers, rapists. They deserve everything we give them.
A few years ago there was Jack Bauer. Sure he killed and tortured with impunity, but it was all good. He only did it to the really bad guys. They had it coming.
The problem, of course, is that you never see Dirty Harry or Jack Bauer torturing an innocent person. They never make mistakes. Never kill a clerk at the Wawa Food Market who kind of looks a little like the bad guy.
That's the manipulation. They make it seem that torture is effective. That quick action trumps thoughtful planning, and that following rules is for chumps.
The Lie: A Novel by Hesh Kestin follows in the steps of Eastwood and the producers of 24. The story follows a liberal defense attorney in Isreal who works to assist arab prisoners. She is against "extreme measures" in questioning (i.e. torture)until her son is taken by Hezbollah. Then her priorities are set right.
Yes, it's over the top. All the villians are really bad. The Isreali police/IDF staffs only brave noble men and women. The author, Hesh Kestin, again and again bemoans how the "media from the West" (America) needlessly complicates things and confuses the situation when a simple plan of just going in guns a-blazin' will work.
But I did give this 4 stars because it's great sometimes to be manipulated.
I devoured this book. I felt for the families of the captured soldiers. I hated the ruthless terrorists--I wanted them to die. Kestin did a great job ratcheting up the tension and the stakes. By the end of the book I was exhausted.
Great story, well written and executed.
The manipulation worked.
May 28, 2014
This is basically a thriller, but with some thought-provoking ideas, which I found deepened my understanding of everyday life in a country where politics is often deadly and the rhetoric often turns to actions that are misunderstood. Dahlia Barr is an Israeli attorney who defends Palestinians accused of terrorism. She (and her mother) and left-wingers. They see bad intentions around every corner. Nevertheless, in order to make more of an impact on the government, Dahlia accepts an insider's job with the police and will be the one to make the decision about when and whether to use extraordinary interrogation techniques. Dahlia grew up in a home where politics was a blood sport for her mother and whose friendship with a local Arab woman and her son helped to inform Dahlia's understanding of "the situation." It is only when something happens to Dahlia's son, Ari, that she is forced to consider extraordinary interrogation methods from a very personal point of view rather than from the impersonal perspective of an attorney who has no vested interest in a case that Dahlia is forced to confront her values on a quite different level. Dalia has a lover, a journalist, who maintains complete neutrality, (Her husband is divorcing her). We meet her new coworkers and hear their points of view, and see the precision and bravery of people willing to die for the right to have a country of their own, but still live by very high ethical standards. And then, a shocking discovery is made and Dahlia understands who she really is. A great page-turner.
January 16, 2015
I feel bad to say this book was very exciting. That being because the Israelis & Palestinians go thru this almost every day, and I am sure this is not exciting for them. A very intense story about an Israeli defense attorney, Dahlia Barr, who defends Israelis accused of terrorism. She is one day told that she is basically the ONLY person for the job of becoming an arbiter on the use of torture filled interrogations. She takes the job, wondering if she can change the system from within.
Meanwhile, she is about to get divorced, has 2 sons, & is having an affair with an American television news correspondent. Her mother is an awful woman who is just horrible to Dahlia & a neighbor to her mother whom she calls "auntie", who treats her with so much love, are decidedly involved big in this story. (And I LOVED this part of it!) Even if they are not talked of much all through the book.
Two soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces are kidnapped by Hezbollah, and they are taken to Lebanon. One being Dahlia's 20 year old son, Ari. Their rescue is filled with so much intensity, their planning is so precise, it was a really great part of the story. Also involved in the story line is Professor Edward Al-Masri, and he seems to have some involvement in the capturing of the two soldiers. He also has known Dahlia since they were children. He has been taken into custody, & Dahlia is the one to interrogate him. Very suspenseful story.
Meanwhile, she is about to get divorced, has 2 sons, & is having an affair with an American television news correspondent. Her mother is an awful woman who is just horrible to Dahlia & a neighbor to her mother whom she calls "auntie", who treats her with so much love, are decidedly involved big in this story. (And I LOVED this part of it!) Even if they are not talked of much all through the book.
Two soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces are kidnapped by Hezbollah, and they are taken to Lebanon. One being Dahlia's 20 year old son, Ari. Their rescue is filled with so much intensity, their planning is so precise, it was a really great part of the story. Also involved in the story line is Professor Edward Al-Masri, and he seems to have some involvement in the capturing of the two soldiers. He also has known Dahlia since they were children. He has been taken into custody, & Dahlia is the one to interrogate him. Very suspenseful story.
March 26, 2017
This is the first novel I've read addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it was pretty good. I could have done without the war descriptions (simply because reading about this gun and that gun isn't interesting), but all the behind-the-scenes stuff, the affairs, the description, the dialogue -- all of it was excellent. Mr. Kestin is an excellent writer, and I think he did a good job with a multitude of characters. It's a shame that the one character whose views I agreed with (Dalia's mother) was portrayed as an irrational activist.
I noticed a lot more Muslim-on-Jewish hate than vice-versa, and considering the last words, I'm not sure if that fit with the theme and parting words of the story.
Dialogue that spoke to me:
"Edward, I can't help if you persist in telling fables. No judge will believe them."
"Just as no one believed seven hundred thousand Arabs were made homeless by your repugnant Jewish State! Do you really think I owe it honesty?"
"Edward, eight hundred and fifty thousand Jews were at the same time booted out of twelve Arab countries. This isn't CNN. You should consider the truth. The truth is always best." [p. 93]
Of course, everyone in the book lies about something or the other, so looking to characters for the truth really won't get you what you want. [But neither will CNN, apparently.]
I noticed a lot more Muslim-on-Jewish hate than vice-versa, and considering the last words, I'm not sure if that fit with the theme and parting words of the story.
Dialogue that spoke to me:
"Edward, I can't help if you persist in telling fables. No judge will believe them."
"Just as no one believed seven hundred thousand Arabs were made homeless by your repugnant Jewish State! Do you really think I owe it honesty?"
"Edward, eight hundred and fifty thousand Jews were at the same time booted out of twelve Arab countries. This isn't CNN. You should consider the truth. The truth is always best." [p. 93]
Of course, everyone in the book lies about something or the other, so looking to characters for the truth really won't get you what you want. [But neither will CNN, apparently.]
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews