Palestine 1933 — Jews flood into the country fleeing persecution in Europe, settling the land that has for centuries belonged to the local Arab muktars.
Sarah Landauer and Rishou Hass’an are divided by the barbed wire of the kibbutz and by their religion yet still fall in love. But as tensions rise in the country, the two are torn apart.
A decade later, Sarah works for the Haganah, the outlawed Jewish intelligence service; Rishou is in Jerusalem, trying to stay out of a war he does not believe in. But as the whole country descends into chaos, they find each other again, and cannot stay apart.
Then the British leave for good, and the Jews and Arabs prepare for the final battle of Jerusalem. Sarah and Rishou meet in secret, keeping their affair hidden even form those that they love. But finally, they must face their final agonizing destiny, forced to choose between their love for each other and their loyalty and duty to their own people.
Colin Falconer writes fast-paced historical adventures that sweep readers across centuries and continents, from the battlefields of Rome to the intrigues of forgotten empires. His novels blend action, danger, and unforgettable characters in richly imagined worlds.
Born in London, Colin now lives in Australia with his wife and their cocker spaniels. Click FOLLOW for updates on new releases, or join his mailing list for exclusive offers.
I absolutely loved this book! I'm a massive fan of historic fiction but I hadnt yet read anything about Palestine. Not only was this book a wonderful story with memorable characters it was also a big burst of education for me. My favourite kind of book. It gave me a good laugh at times (because I'd never heard of a penis being referred to as a Sacred Member) and it also made me cry. Well done Colin. You should be so proud of this story. 🤗
International bestselling author, Colin Falconer continues to enthrall with another fascinating read! Sleeping with the Enemy tells a compelling story about two war-torn lovers while explaining in great detail the roots of the Palestinian and Jewish conflict. Forbidden love between Palestinian Rishou and Jewish Sarah is powerfully wrought, making both characters larger than life and glow with an abundance of believability! It is a novel about life and death, love and hate, struggle and strife!
If you've never read a book by this author before, then I highly encourage you to do so. He has a knack for telling stories in a bold, tell-it-like-it-is way, and sprinkled with plenty of love and humor along the way. His books are always memorable, always enjoyable, always a sure bet! Definitely highly recommended!
I’m amazed at the research Mr. Falconer does for all of his novels. There are not many authors that can cover history like he does. Whether it’s the Crusades or the making of the Jewish State he has no peer.
Homeland is sanctified in the blood of most human beings. We ‘are’ where we are from. The piece of the planet we’re born or live in is something of ultimate preciousness to us. Not all people ‘get’ this.
This review is ‘not’ about any side being right or wrong, and in honesty, there’s no simple answer to the conflict. The tragedy is that many ‘outsiders’ or ‘tenant landlords’ who controlled Palestine/influenced policy got it dramatically wrong completely and consistently. The whole population of this geographical area was managed in a catastrophic manner, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
What this book does magnificently (in tandem with the first book) is to highlight both sides of a dreadful story. The authors understanding & portrayal of events is done perfectly to show this, straddling both sides.
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War is many things to many people, but to most people it’s a tragic waste of human life and endeavour. The psychological and moral cost continue for many generations after the conflict. In many cases, conflict also continues ‘over’ many generations. To my mind, a heart wrenching truth is if it were not for the isolated opinions/egos of ‘key’ individual persons who are involved in making decisions at government level or strategic military levels; it would ‘likely’ be possible for sensible voices to come to some sort of ‘arrangement’ or ‘understanding’ that would avoid the out & out waste of armed conflict. Some may scoff at this: good for you, but remember, if nobody pulls the trigger, shells, throws or whatever, then walls and fences and lines are far better than dead people and destroyed lands.
Once again, the way in which the author has portrayed the utter futility of perpetual conflict, the desolation of destruction and ruin of many innocent lives is truly done to the highest of standards.
Better the book 1, maybe because there was a first book...
I've never read a book about the settling of the Jews into the lands of Israel before it was known as Israel until now. The idea of writing about it from both sides in the same time frame I thought was great. I am interested in this period in history because I do not understand the mind set towards the Jewish people. Nothing I have ever read has helped me to understanding it. I do understand, however how it would feel for powers beyond one's control to place people in your backyard, and force you to share what had always been yours with strangers who believed they now owned it. I believe the Arabs as well as the Jews were both victims of prejudice, arrogance, and greed of world they were not part of and did not understand. I also believe those same powers that created the situation in the Middle East have never stopped meddling and interfering there. It sounds awful, but I wonder if they hoped they would wipe each other out so the land and especially the resources would be up for grabs. Although you didn't answer my questions, Mr. Falconer, you did get my attention and got me to thinking and feeling about it.
I received a free advance review e-copy of this book and have chosen of my own free will to post a review. This is a carefully researched and very well written piece of historical fiction in which the author lets us see the tragedy from both sides of the Palestinian/Isreali conflict beginning at the creation of the free state of Israel. We see how complex opposing religious and cultural backgrounds can be and how easily things can get out of control. The following thoughts of Sarah Landauer left a lasting impression, “We will bleed with you. We will die with you. But don’t ask us to love you! …….. So, who are my kin and who are my enemies? Rishou was my lover, and they told me to hate him because he was an Arab. Is that all love and hate is, an accident of birth?” I so wish the ending could have been different, but in reality it never will be. I found this story to be very thought provoking and well worth the read. Another winner by Colin Falconer.
As the author states, there are two sides to every story. Two people in a rowboat who witness an event may have greatly differing opinions as to what transpired. So it is in Colin Falconer's fury books. Book one tells of the history and events leading up to the birth of Israel from the Jewish perspective. Book two incorporates the same historical events from the Palestinian view point. It's particularly topical considering the current Israeli/Hamas war, and adds a great deal of perspective from both sides. But, there was also a third element that is largely overlooked when it comes to Palestine, the British, who occupied Palestine after the first world war and had many opportunities to negotiate and mend the rising conflicts between the immigrating Jews and the Arabs. Instead they chose to turn a blind eye and allowed the tensions to rise.
Having been written in the early 1990’s, the two Fury books (1 and 2) are amazingly prescient of the present day events in Gaza, Palestine and Israel. Author does a good job of incorporating the historical basis for the ongoing ethnic/religious conflicts in the region, including the role of Western countries, especially England, in manipulating Arabs and Jews for their own purposes. The plot moves well, details could be too graphic at times for some. Character development reasonably good. There’s a love story in each book, both a bit sappy. The telling of the same story from two different perspectives is especially appropriate for this situation that so many of us find hard to know which side is “right."
I'm so glad that I chose to read Fury in both it's parts. It has helped fill gaping holes in my understanding of the Palestine/Israel conflict. Many of my generation (1960's) have grown up and old with this ongoing conflict without really understanding the politics. My own father and father-in-law we both involved in the middle East but even so, I didn't understand what the British were doing over there.
Colin Falconer's books are a fantastic way of learning history. They are fast moving, the characters are believable and, best of all, they are well researched. Book number 5 waiting to be read......
Part 2 of an epic two part series that weaves a human dimension into its historical context. Beginning in book 1 with the Pograms, ww2 , the death camps and the struggle after the wars end to seek to avoid British capture and seek to travel to Palestine. Book 2 starts at the same place in history, 1933 , and follows the relationship between an Arab, Rishou, and Sarah a Jewish kibbutznik and the final battles that followed the British withdrawal in 1948 and the Arab Jewish war. This was a great read with lots of historical context a must read for those seeking to understand how this volatile region is where it is today 9/10
Ever since I read Exodus by Leon Uris, I have had a strong interest in the establishment of the Jewish state. What I liked about this book is that the author portrays the Arabs and Jews equally as people fighting for their families and to preserve a way of life. I thought the depiction of the squabbles between the various Jewish factions was well done and showed how cohesion and cooperation was largely impossible. The dissension among Arab factions was insightful, also. The romance was bittersweet. I rarely give 5 stars but this is an exceptional book.
When you write about the conflict between the two nations of different religions and cultures, it is difficult to be impartial. Colin Falconer, fortunately, has not fallen into this trap and I particularly appreciate it. I love his sense of humor even in situations where you do not expect to laugh. His epic descriptions are very vivid and I really enjoyed reading them. Another interesting book by the author of many extraordinary novels.
Fury book 2 is the dramatisation of a critical period of the middle east history (the land of Palestine from 1933 through 1948). The book is less engaging than interesting, as it describes the events which led the zionists to take over a land owned by the arabs for several centuries in great and precise details. But it's sort of soulless, it lacks the passion, the intensity to make it the great epic that it aspires to be.
I really enjoyed this modern historical fiction novel. The clash of the Jewish culture with Arabic culture was fascinating and gave me a much clearer understanding of the strife in the Middle East. Even better, I found most of the characters to be very sympathetic and believable, making it hard to root for a "favorite" as I related to so many of them in their very complicated realities.
Sleeping with the Enemy by Colin Falconer is an amazing story. Very touching, but also giving a good insight into the personal and political conflicts people were and still are exposed to. Once you start reading you can't stop, so take a time out. A MUST READ BOOK !
The United Nation vote that created the nation of Israel is still in contention to many people. I have lived in the area and have friends on all sides. They have different cultures and religions and have their versions of the conflict and results.
In light of current conflict in current Israel this book was very interesting to get an idea of the history of the region It would have been helpful of the glossary of all the Jewish and Arab green were in the front of the book instead of at the end
As with Book 1, I started reading this with some reservations but must commend the author for the very sensitive, fair, and very imaginative way in which he handled a very difficult subject.
As if it were written today. Everyone who thinks about the current conflict in that part of the world should read this to understand both sides of the struggle. And humankind’s needs
My compliments to the author for another excellent book of fiction. I felt I was there through the entire series of battle s. Thank you very much keep writing. I promise to keep reading
I like historical fiction and this is a great example. The characters are strong and they had to be. It is heartbreaking though that this war is everlasting.
I recommend the book. From the author of SILK ROAD comes this book about the dispersed Jews going to Palestine before and after World War II to build their God given nation. There is too much history to cover in trying to review the storyline, so I will say the author's writing mechanics were excellent. When I opened the book, I knew I had read it before, but I could not find my review and check off of this title on any of my clouds. Either I lost a book and a review or this is a retitled book. Check with the author.
Thank you, Mr. Falconer, for a good read.
P.S. The book was initially titled FURY. The author made that clear in some opening note that I initially neglected to read.
This book allows you to form more understanding into the roots of the problem between Jews and Arabs which like the problem won’t help solve it only to grieve over it
A great insight and read into the Middle East essentially woven into a love story Love the book because it looked at the conflict without prejudice from both sides