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The English Teacher
For readers of John Le Carré and viewers of Homeland, a slow-burning psychological spy-thriller by a former brigadier general of intelligence in the Israeli army
After attending her father’s funeral, former Mossad agent Rachel Goldschmitt empties her bank account and disappears. But when she makes a cryptic phone call to her former handler, Ehud, the Mossad sends him to track her down. Finding no leads, he must retrace her career as a spy to figure out why she abandoned Mossad before she can do any damage to Israel. But he soon discovers that after living under cover for so long, an agent’s assumed identity and her real one can blur, catching loyalty, love, and truth between them. In the midst of a high-risk, high-stakes investigation, Ehud begins to question whether he ever knew his agent at all.
In The English Teacher, Yiftach R. Atir drew on his own experience in intelligence to weave a psychologically nuanced thriller that explores the pressures of living under an assumed identity for months at a time.
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After attending her father’s funeral, former Mossad agent Rachel Goldschmitt empties her bank account and disappears. But when she makes a cryptic phone call to her former handler, Ehud, the Mossad sends him to track her down. Finding no leads, he must retrace her career as a spy to figure out why she abandoned Mossad before she can do any damage to Israel. But he soon discovers that after living under cover for so long, an agent’s assumed identity and her real one can blur, catching loyalty, love, and truth between them. In the midst of a high-risk, high-stakes investigation, Ehud begins to question whether he ever knew his agent at all.
In The English Teacher, Yiftach R. Atir drew on his own experience in intelligence to weave a psychologically nuanced thriller that explores the pressures of living under an assumed identity for months at a time.
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260 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
186 people are currently reading
2108 people want to read
About the author
Yiftach Reicher Atir
7 books34 followersYiftach Reicher Atir was born in 1949 on Kibbutz Shoval, in the south of Israel. As a young commando officer, he participated in Operation Entebbe and other military and intelligence operations before retirement with the rank of Brigadier General (Intelligence). The English Teacher is his third novel.
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July 18, 2016
Psychological thriller about a former Mossad agent that slowly unfolds.
After attending her father’s funeral, Rachel Goldschmidt, former Mossad agent, vanishes without a trace. Even though 15 years have passed since Rachel’s last mission, Mossad must find her as Rachel had been privy to some of their most important secrets. Ehud, her former handler, is called in to track her down. Has Rachel become a traitor to Israel and sold secrets to the enemy?
The narrative is told primarily from Ehud’ point of view, although at a certain point there is a narrative shift in which the reader becomes privy to Rachel’s state of mind. Ehud recalls in great detail the four years that he spent serving as Rachel’s handler. He shares not only how he trained and prepared Rachel for her missions, but also the intimacy that developed between the two of them. It is clear rather early on that Ehud’s feelings for Rachel have gone beyond their relationship as handler/agent. As a spy, Rachel had to learn to not only adapt to adopting new identities, but also to repress her feelings and emotions. For Rachel, doing so is easier said than done.
The English Teacher is a really interesting read about how one deals with having to live a double life and repress their feelings. I learned a lot about the day-to-day operations of a spy’s life and the ways that they are trained. For me, the book started off with a bang but then moved at a slow pace-- I felt like part of the reason for this was that there was weightiness to Edhud’s recollections and a sense of dread behind his words. It was almost like if he slowed down sharing Rachel’s story, it would delay her from being found.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
After attending her father’s funeral, Rachel Goldschmidt, former Mossad agent, vanishes without a trace. Even though 15 years have passed since Rachel’s last mission, Mossad must find her as Rachel had been privy to some of their most important secrets. Ehud, her former handler, is called in to track her down. Has Rachel become a traitor to Israel and sold secrets to the enemy?
The narrative is told primarily from Ehud’ point of view, although at a certain point there is a narrative shift in which the reader becomes privy to Rachel’s state of mind. Ehud recalls in great detail the four years that he spent serving as Rachel’s handler. He shares not only how he trained and prepared Rachel for her missions, but also the intimacy that developed between the two of them. It is clear rather early on that Ehud’s feelings for Rachel have gone beyond their relationship as handler/agent. As a spy, Rachel had to learn to not only adapt to adopting new identities, but also to repress her feelings and emotions. For Rachel, doing so is easier said than done.
The English Teacher is a really interesting read about how one deals with having to live a double life and repress their feelings. I learned a lot about the day-to-day operations of a spy’s life and the ways that they are trained. For me, the book started off with a bang but then moved at a slow pace-- I felt like part of the reason for this was that there was weightiness to Edhud’s recollections and a sense of dread behind his words. It was almost like if he slowed down sharing Rachel’s story, it would delay her from being found.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 7, 2016
“He was a secret agent, and still alive thanks to his exact attention to the detail of his profession.”
----Ian Fleming
Yiftach Reicher Atir, the former head of the Israel army’s special ops directorate, pens a mind boggling spy thriller, The English Teacher inspired from his own life as a commando handling many operatives serving for their motherland with a new identity in an enemy country. The author was woven a gripping tale about a retired female undercover Mossad agent, who goes missing after her father's death and her experienced male handler is called down to the head quarters to divulge details about her untold past and her assignments so that they can find a clue to where she is heading to. But that requires a lot of hidden emotions and a lot of untold stories to unravel in front of so many others.
Synopsis:
For readers of John Le Carré and viewers of Homeland, a slow-burning psychological spy-thriller by a former brigadier general of intelligence in the Israeli army
After attending her father’s funeral, former Mossad agent Rachel Goldschmitt empties her bank account and disappears. But when she makes a cryptic phone call to her former handler, Ehud, the Mossad sends him to track her down. Finding no leads, he must retrace her career as a spy to figure out why she abandoned Mossad before she can do any damage to Israel. But he soon discovers that after living under cover for so long, an agent’s assumed identity and her real one can blur, catching loyalty, love, and truth between them. In the midst of a high-risk, high-stakes investigation, Ehud begins to question whether he ever knew his agent at all.
In The English Teacher, Yiftach R. Atir drew on his own experience in intelligence to weave a psychologically nuanced thriller that explores the pressures of living under an assumed identity for months at a time.
Rachel disappears into thin air after her father's funeral as she found out about the letters sent years ago under her name by her senior case officer, Ehud. Filled with regret and remorse towards the life she led as a Mossad operative for so many years, she leaves the country without leaving any trace of her. Ehud has been alerted about Rachel's disappearance by his commander Joe, to whom Ehud confesses his undying love for Rachel for so many years and the story behind Rachel's past and her assignments as an English teacher in an enemy country. But divulging those untold facts about Rachel's life might put both Ehud and Rachel's lives in danger, although there's no other way to find out about Rachel's whereabouts and years of working with the Mossad, it has put her into liability about so many secrets about the Arab capital's military operations.
Being formerly experienced in the field, the author has diligently penned this story with enough insights and vivid scenes to make the readers feel like the story is unfolding right before their presence. Although it is a purely fictional story which has been highly censored by the Israeli intelligence agencies yet the story delves enough deeper to let the readers see a spy's double life and experience their struggling crisis with their dual existence which often merges into one another, resulting into chaos both in real and spy lives. The emotions attached to a spy's mindset and heart are evocatively captured and portrayed by the author into the story thereby making it a compelling as well as poignant read for one and all.
The author's writing style is articulate yet it lacked depth at many places, hence when the time came to comprehend with the core of the story, I failed to do so. Even the dual narratives of both Ehud and Rachel seems to get meddled with one another's back stories, hence the tone of the story line isn't that polished and while reading, I felt bit baffled with the dialogues of the two characters who felt like having equal voices. The pacing of the book is slow as the story is unraveled through many layers, that ultimately up the intrigue quotient of the book.
The characters in the book are well developed, and since the common readers are not aware of a spy's lifestyle, so it will feel like a fresh insight into the world of a government operative complete with believable facts. The main character, Rachel, felt like a sketchy character as it was hard to recognize her through her monologues, overall, she is very brave yet emotional young lady who is full of promises and will not bend to take risks, but in the end her emotions failed her. The other character, Ehud, is extremely well sketched out and so the rest of the supporting cast of characters, while Ehud being the love-sick, forced-to-be-a-scheming mind planer who took care of Rachel's assignments and trained her in this field, and his sad life will strike the readers thoroughly.
The backdrop of Israel is not that well arrested into the story line, yet somehow, the author managed to capture the Israeli flair through his evocative prose and that will let the readers feel the depth and heart of a forbidden land so closely.
In a nutshell, the story is brilliantly portrayed through a retired and runaway operative's back story and lets the readers realize about the painful path that these operative take while sacrificing the simple things of a normal human lifestyle, in order to serve one's own country blindly.
Verdict: A page turning spy thriller that is not to be missed.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Yiftach Reicher Atir's publicist for giving me an opportunity to read and review his novel.
----Ian Fleming
Yiftach Reicher Atir, the former head of the Israel army’s special ops directorate, pens a mind boggling spy thriller, The English Teacher inspired from his own life as a commando handling many operatives serving for their motherland with a new identity in an enemy country. The author was woven a gripping tale about a retired female undercover Mossad agent, who goes missing after her father's death and her experienced male handler is called down to the head quarters to divulge details about her untold past and her assignments so that they can find a clue to where she is heading to. But that requires a lot of hidden emotions and a lot of untold stories to unravel in front of so many others.
Synopsis:
For readers of John Le Carré and viewers of Homeland, a slow-burning psychological spy-thriller by a former brigadier general of intelligence in the Israeli army
After attending her father’s funeral, former Mossad agent Rachel Goldschmitt empties her bank account and disappears. But when she makes a cryptic phone call to her former handler, Ehud, the Mossad sends him to track her down. Finding no leads, he must retrace her career as a spy to figure out why she abandoned Mossad before she can do any damage to Israel. But he soon discovers that after living under cover for so long, an agent’s assumed identity and her real one can blur, catching loyalty, love, and truth between them. In the midst of a high-risk, high-stakes investigation, Ehud begins to question whether he ever knew his agent at all.
In The English Teacher, Yiftach R. Atir drew on his own experience in intelligence to weave a psychologically nuanced thriller that explores the pressures of living under an assumed identity for months at a time.
Rachel disappears into thin air after her father's funeral as she found out about the letters sent years ago under her name by her senior case officer, Ehud. Filled with regret and remorse towards the life she led as a Mossad operative for so many years, she leaves the country without leaving any trace of her. Ehud has been alerted about Rachel's disappearance by his commander Joe, to whom Ehud confesses his undying love for Rachel for so many years and the story behind Rachel's past and her assignments as an English teacher in an enemy country. But divulging those untold facts about Rachel's life might put both Ehud and Rachel's lives in danger, although there's no other way to find out about Rachel's whereabouts and years of working with the Mossad, it has put her into liability about so many secrets about the Arab capital's military operations.
Being formerly experienced in the field, the author has diligently penned this story with enough insights and vivid scenes to make the readers feel like the story is unfolding right before their presence. Although it is a purely fictional story which has been highly censored by the Israeli intelligence agencies yet the story delves enough deeper to let the readers see a spy's double life and experience their struggling crisis with their dual existence which often merges into one another, resulting into chaos both in real and spy lives. The emotions attached to a spy's mindset and heart are evocatively captured and portrayed by the author into the story thereby making it a compelling as well as poignant read for one and all.
The author's writing style is articulate yet it lacked depth at many places, hence when the time came to comprehend with the core of the story, I failed to do so. Even the dual narratives of both Ehud and Rachel seems to get meddled with one another's back stories, hence the tone of the story line isn't that polished and while reading, I felt bit baffled with the dialogues of the two characters who felt like having equal voices. The pacing of the book is slow as the story is unraveled through many layers, that ultimately up the intrigue quotient of the book.
The characters in the book are well developed, and since the common readers are not aware of a spy's lifestyle, so it will feel like a fresh insight into the world of a government operative complete with believable facts. The main character, Rachel, felt like a sketchy character as it was hard to recognize her through her monologues, overall, she is very brave yet emotional young lady who is full of promises and will not bend to take risks, but in the end her emotions failed her. The other character, Ehud, is extremely well sketched out and so the rest of the supporting cast of characters, while Ehud being the love-sick, forced-to-be-a-scheming mind planer who took care of Rachel's assignments and trained her in this field, and his sad life will strike the readers thoroughly.
The backdrop of Israel is not that well arrested into the story line, yet somehow, the author managed to capture the Israeli flair through his evocative prose and that will let the readers feel the depth and heart of a forbidden land so closely.
In a nutshell, the story is brilliantly portrayed through a retired and runaway operative's back story and lets the readers realize about the painful path that these operative take while sacrificing the simple things of a normal human lifestyle, in order to serve one's own country blindly.
Verdict: A page turning spy thriller that is not to be missed.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Yiftach Reicher Atir's publicist for giving me an opportunity to read and review his novel.
July 15, 2016
"A secret has an odd quality. It doesn't grow old. It doesn't lose its value. It just becomes harder -- harder to reveal, harder to confess, harder to receive absolution for."
This fascinating and very well written book centers around a single character, Rachel, and the life that flows around her, even as a well of loneliness builds within. She's an expat English teacher in an Arab nation with a very big secret -- she's actually a Mossad agent.
The story begins with recent action. Rachel's only living relative, her father in London, has died. She has emptied her bank account and disappeared. Israeli intelligence has become concerned, very concerned indeed. With all the state secrets she holds, she could become a danger to her country and, thus, to herself. Where has she gone and why? This is the heart of The English Teacher.
What the author (once a brigadier general and intelligence officer in the Israeli Army himself) has most generously brought to this story is an authenticity to the main character only rarely glimpsed at in most mystery novels. Through Rachel, his undercover agent working alone in hostile territory, he is able to transfer those feelings of loneliness and fear. By circling back from the end to the beginning again, we readers get a real scope of the life of a spy: how it begins and perhaps how it might end.
Despite being a highly lauded agent, we begin to see the crumbling of Rachel and experience her frustrations and the distrust that begins to build between her and Mossad. We see that she truly needs some of the "normal" things she has chosen to sacrifice for her work in order to live as a real person and gain some semblance of happiness.
Living a lie takes its toll. In spite of everyone's best intentions -- Rachel's, Mossad's, the people who populate Rachel's life, her handler's, the higher-ups' -- the pieces cannot be made to fit. If nothing else, this book enables those of us not in the business of collecting intelligence to see just what sacrifices are made to keep the rest of us safe. Few books on the market today can make that searing claim.
Thanks to Good Reads and Penguin Books for allowing me to read this book.
January 30, 2020
4 Stars for The English Teacher (audiobook) by Yiftach Reicher Atir read by Charlotte Albanna. This is an interesting psychological thriller about a Mossad agent. This was made into a movie and was released last summer. ( August 2019) The narration was good.
September 10, 2016
A different type of espionage novel. Loosely based on actual facts the story deals with the technicalities of a Mossad case officer handling of a covert agent. Rachel, the covert agent, has decided to give up her assignment and disappear. Headquarters is concerned that she will go to the newspapers or the enemy and inform on Mossad operations. The agency calls back Rachel’s case officer and his commander in order to review previous operations and locate the missing agent. The story narrative then turns into a review of Rachel’s covert operations by these two gentlemen. The review is quite detailed and includes some very personal aspects of Rachel’s life. I liked this part because it is the first time I have read an espionage book that deals with the daily life of an agent in the field and the consequences on their psyche as a result of their interaction with the enemy. The story at times can be confusing. In my opinion this has to do with either the translation or with restrictions imposed on the author by the censors. A very brainy novel.
September 20, 2016
Yes, it IS a page turner. And, yes its descriptions of spy operations is very interesting. And, yes it is a well-structured tale. I think I can agree with all the positive comments that people have made. But...
I want a book to make sense.
It doesn't make sense that after Rachel leaves active service that her father doesn't share that he really knows what she was doing. Their relationship is given too short shrift and yet seems the most important thing at the end.
It doesn't make sense that Rachel calls Ehud. Yes, I know, that if she didn't, there would be no story. But what is the purpose in making the call, really?
It doesn't make sense that they killed Rashid. If he hasn't told his government what he knows after 18 years (or is it 15 years?), what can he tell them now? It isn't clear that the Mossad knows that Rachel met with him, and even if they do, what could she have told him since her information is so very old. And where is Rashid's wife? Suppose when he went to his apartment, his wife and kids were there? Would the agents have killed the whole family?
It doesn't make sense that Rachel can't get over her love for Rashid. Yes, that's the point of the story, but a young, attractive woman should have had friends and lovers in Israel. It's hard for me to believe that she carried the torch for him all those years.
It doesn't make sense that the Mossad was able to find her so quickly and launch all the people involved in getting to her in a day or two at the most. We have no idea how they traced her.
It doesn't makes sense that Ehud didn't let Rachel tell him where she was going as it was clear that she was packing up when he comes to see her at the hotel. Why is everyone so much in a hurry in this last vital scene?
It doesn't make sense that she just runs down the street after escaping from Ehud. Why doesn't she hide herself? Where did she think she was going?
It doesn't make sense that she withdrew all her money. If she was just going to see what was up with Rashid, she could have made plans later. And, why can't she find out that Rashid is married even before she goes to see him? I assume that social media exists. Or perhaps she doesn't care if he is married because she just wants to be a mistress?
Then there's the small points. How did they set off the explosive in the battery and at the right time? Why couldn't she said "excuse me" to the man who was fingering her and still have continued the mission? How could she put on the poisoned gloves without getting poisoned herself. (She wasn't wearing rubber gloves while waiting in the open for Strauss.) (Yes, there's probably some good answers to these small points, but they weren't in the book.)
Yes, it is a sad story, and the Mossad comes off as idiots and monsters at the end, in too much of hurry to kill people. But the saddest thing is that Rachel is really intelligent and the author makes her so love-lorn that she can't think straight. Also, why did they bring Stefan along if they were only really going to give her an injection and get her on a flight out of the country? And if she were really incapacitated by the injection, the airline would have allowed her on the plane? Give me a break. It's too stupid of an idea.
I did like that Rashid had HIS head on straight when he basically tells her that there is no way he was coming back to her. So I felt really sorry that he was killed.
And Ehud should have stopped being her handler once he could admit to himself that he was in love with Rachel.
So, it was a sad love story dressed up with spy stuff. I'm not sorry I read it, but I won't bother with anymore books by this author.
I want a book to make sense.
It doesn't make sense that after Rachel leaves active service that her father doesn't share that he really knows what she was doing. Their relationship is given too short shrift and yet seems the most important thing at the end.
It doesn't make sense that Rachel calls Ehud. Yes, I know, that if she didn't, there would be no story. But what is the purpose in making the call, really?
It doesn't make sense that they killed Rashid. If he hasn't told his government what he knows after 18 years (or is it 15 years?), what can he tell them now? It isn't clear that the Mossad knows that Rachel met with him, and even if they do, what could she have told him since her information is so very old. And where is Rashid's wife? Suppose when he went to his apartment, his wife and kids were there? Would the agents have killed the whole family?
It doesn't make sense that Rachel can't get over her love for Rashid. Yes, that's the point of the story, but a young, attractive woman should have had friends and lovers in Israel. It's hard for me to believe that she carried the torch for him all those years.
It doesn't make sense that the Mossad was able to find her so quickly and launch all the people involved in getting to her in a day or two at the most. We have no idea how they traced her.
It doesn't makes sense that Ehud didn't let Rachel tell him where she was going as it was clear that she was packing up when he comes to see her at the hotel. Why is everyone so much in a hurry in this last vital scene?
It doesn't make sense that she just runs down the street after escaping from Ehud. Why doesn't she hide herself? Where did she think she was going?
It doesn't make sense that she withdrew all her money. If she was just going to see what was up with Rashid, she could have made plans later. And, why can't she find out that Rashid is married even before she goes to see him? I assume that social media exists. Or perhaps she doesn't care if he is married because she just wants to be a mistress?
Then there's the small points. How did they set off the explosive in the battery and at the right time? Why couldn't she said "excuse me" to the man who was fingering her and still have continued the mission? How could she put on the poisoned gloves without getting poisoned herself. (She wasn't wearing rubber gloves while waiting in the open for Strauss.) (Yes, there's probably some good answers to these small points, but they weren't in the book.)
Yes, it is a sad story, and the Mossad comes off as idiots and monsters at the end, in too much of hurry to kill people. But the saddest thing is that Rachel is really intelligent and the author makes her so love-lorn that she can't think straight. Also, why did they bring Stefan along if they were only really going to give her an injection and get her on a flight out of the country? And if she were really incapacitated by the injection, the airline would have allowed her on the plane? Give me a break. It's too stupid of an idea.
I did like that Rashid had HIS head on straight when he basically tells her that there is no way he was coming back to her. So I felt really sorry that he was killed.
And Ehud should have stopped being her handler once he could admit to himself that he was in love with Rachel.
So, it was a sad love story dressed up with spy stuff. I'm not sorry I read it, but I won't bother with anymore books by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2020
An intriguing thriller about a female Mossad agent recruited and handled by a much older, more experienced operative. She suddenly disappears after her father's death, triggering an urgent investigation with the fear she might do great damage to Israel. The author draws on his own career in intelligence; writing a novel that bristles with excitement and authenticity.
July 26, 2016
The English Teacher is a translated book. Not all of the idiomatic expressions translate easily and this makes for a more careful read. The story is told almost from a series of journals, which are the accounts of the principle character as she poses as an English teacher in an unfriendly country. It is a story of espionage. The story is as fascinating as the telling of the process of being a spy. The author is writing from experience and this lends to an authenticity. This is an interesting and captivating story. This is a book for a serious reader and someone who enjoys the complexity of a mystery unfolding.
The plotline is complicated because the narrator admits to being in love with his much younger operative, the spy posing as an English teacher. The book is complex because of all the intertwinement of the characters. It is interesting to learn how the operatives are trained and how each is expected to behave void of emotional attachment.
This was a difficult book to put down due to all of the surprises adding to the mystery content. I think I learned much more about spies and political espionage than I ever thought possible.
The plotline is complicated because the narrator admits to being in love with his much younger operative, the spy posing as an English teacher. The book is complex because of all the intertwinement of the characters. It is interesting to learn how the operatives are trained and how each is expected to behave void of emotional attachment.
This was a difficult book to put down due to all of the surprises adding to the mystery content. I think I learned much more about spies and political espionage than I ever thought possible.
February 6, 2017
On the one hand, this is a terrifically sensitive and detailed and nuanced exploration of what it must be like to live undercover in hostile territory. So I thought the first 80 percent or so of the book was marvelous. But I thought the climax of the book both sexist and unbelievable. I cannot imagine that the author would have written this about a male spy. Without giving away the plot, at the end of the book, the English teacher does something so crazy, rooted in a hope that was entirely irrational and carried out in a fashion that makes it appear that she has totally lost her memory of how a spy agency would view and react to what she proposes to do, that it simply is unimaginable that anyone would behave this way. The author apparently thinks that women, no matter how intelligent and highly trained, would allow emotion to overcome any vestige of common sense in the most dangerous of situations. I ended the book feeling highly annoyed.
July 16, 2016
A psychological thriller! I was drawn into this life of intrigue and suspense immediately. The author is obviously drawing from real world scenarios and feels true compassion and a sense of comradery toward those who live double lives. The reality seems to be that aside from physical perils the agents face their psyche can become permanently damaged - and that can't be fixed or can it? It feels real and scary - I have no doubt this story plays out in some form everyday... really gives us all something to think about. A good read.
October 20, 2016
An interesting book that is ruined by the dumbest, most obvious, least dramatically satisfying ending possible. I felt like the entire book was build up to a plot that abruptly forgot to happen.
February 9, 2017
The English Teacher - Such a wonderful story about the dark, lonely, strange and secret life of an Israeli spy, told by her handler, 20 years older and always in love with her. He retraces her life as Mossad tries to find her. Rachael fell in love with Rashid, an Arab, but walked out on him when the mission was complete. 15 years later, would he understand and would their old love be enough to bring forgiveness and the rest of their lives together? Not a romance. An intense story about espionage and danger, a 5-star psychological thriller. Great translation from the Hebrew by Philip Simpson, author Yiftach Reicher Atir , narrator Charlotte Albana. ....⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 9, 2025
RTC
4 Stars
4 Stars
August 29, 2016
I took notes as I read thinking they would be helpful as I reviewed this book, and very few of them actually are helpful now. Many parts in the beginning I marked as confusing or unclear, but those things became clear as I finished the novel. One concern I had when first reading this novel was an issue with the language. I think this is mainly due to the translation of the novel from Hebrew. Because of the vast differences in the languages, a translation into English isn't going to be perfect. There are several parts throughout the novel where the point of view shifts, unintentionally (unless I'm reading it incorrectly) or places where the tense changes. However, as I read I got used to the language. As I got into the story it became increasingly difficult for me to put the book down because so many things were going on throughout the novel and I just had to know what happened. It is such a page-turner, and I recommend starting it when you have time to read the whole thing. If the beginning is confusing, read to the end because everything will become clear. Page 208 is one section which I wanted to point out specifically because I felt my heart shatter when I read that section. Several times throughout, Atir is able to break my heart and make me feel with the stories he writes and the way he writes. It is a beautifully heartbreaking story, and I recommend it to everyone I know. It forces readers to think about things we may have never considered or cannot understand, and that is a great thing for an author to accomplish. This novel is very well written and very much worth the read.
October 1, 2019
Thorough in its detail and compelling in its story, The English Teacher will cause the reader to think a lot about the human consequences of an ongoing intelligence war between two countries, where spies suffering from loneliness and compromised identity are unable to forge intimate relationships, afraid of betrayal, and concerned that making the slightest mistake might imperil their missions. The protagonist, Rachel, emotionally damaged by a poor relationship with her father, seems like just the kind of loner a recruiter might seek out - an intelligent only child looking for a father figure. It may have been hard to relate to her motivation at some points, but when she finds love and human connection, the story lights up in unexpected ways. Equally intriguing is her relationship with her handler, Ehud, who lets his unspoken love for Rachel cloud his judgment and, ultimately, compromise her identity and her career. Both are fascinating characters, and because we hear much of the book from Ehud's perspective, it's easy to picture Rachel as enigmatic, never revealing all of her secrets to him or to the reader. Written by a retired IDF intelligence officer who leads the reader through this tragic story with a deft hand, clearly knowledgeable and influenced by his own extensive experience in this world. I'm looking forward to hearing what my book club members have to share about this novel.
July 28, 2016
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this book. The English Teacher is so well written. This is just an example: "His steak was cold by now and the red fibers lacing the meat stood out like roads leading nowhere." So descriptively written the visuals were great. This story is page turner. I loved the main character; "Rachel knew how to avoid answering unwanted questions she'd been trained for years in the art of leaving you satisfied but without an answer."
After attending her father’s funeral, Rachel empties her bank account and disappears. Ehud her handler, must track her down. Finding no leads, he must retrace her career as a spy to figure out why she decided to abandoned her position. In the midst of a high-risk, high-stakes investigation, Ehud begins to question whether he ever knew his agent at all.
In The English Teacher, the motive becomes clear Love.
After attending her father’s funeral, Rachel empties her bank account and disappears. Ehud her handler, must track her down. Finding no leads, he must retrace her career as a spy to figure out why she decided to abandoned her position. In the midst of a high-risk, high-stakes investigation, Ehud begins to question whether he ever knew his agent at all.
In The English Teacher, the motive becomes clear Love.
February 28, 2019
This book is not exactly what I expected. It’s not so much about a spy story but more a love story. Was ok for me but probably more than ok for people who are more into that.
I also didn’t like how 80% of the story is told by Ehud who is telling Rachel’s story, and in many parts he tells things (or maybe it’s the author that tells it) that he (Ehud) could never have known. Wasn’t too reliable.
I also didn’t like how 80% of the story is told by Ehud who is telling Rachel’s story, and in many parts he tells things (or maybe it’s the author that tells it) that he (Ehud) could never have known. Wasn’t too reliable.
June 27, 2023
This book portends to know that once a spy always a spy.
That there is no way to leave the spy world.
And in this regard, Rachel is doomed.
Does that mean we are also doomed as we follow Rachel through her post-spy life as she attempts to find a way to find herself – to learn more about her father after his death.
The one she believed so many things about that may have turned out differently than she knew?
Or what about the relationship she walked away from because of the world she had to be in?
I don’t know, some say this was “an extraordinary page-turner,” but for me, I just wanted an early out.
Maybe you might feel differently.
That there is no way to leave the spy world.
And in this regard, Rachel is doomed.
Does that mean we are also doomed as we follow Rachel through her post-spy life as she attempts to find a way to find herself – to learn more about her father after his death.
The one she believed so many things about that may have turned out differently than she knew?
Or what about the relationship she walked away from because of the world she had to be in?
I don’t know, some say this was “an extraordinary page-turner,” but for me, I just wanted an early out.
Maybe you might feel differently.
May 28, 2017
The English Teacher is billed as a thriller, but it's not. Or mystery or suspense. It's very slow. Just an account of an intelligence officer stationed in "enemy territory" for years, focusing more on the spy's feelings than on details of missions. So if you're looking for something flashy, this isn't it.
July 15, 2019
This was an unusual book for me to read since it is a spy fiction novel about a woman who poses as an English Teacher for the Mossad undercover for 4 years. Even though the book does not have a detailed type of characterization of the main character, Rachel, I felt there was room to imagine what she was truly feeling. I felt sad for her and enjoyed the book. I would recommend it.
February 23, 2017
Whether cop story or spy story, the idea of undercover work is always compelling in novels. Generally handled from a first-person perspective, the unique view conveyed by an undercover operative is unlike normal narration, but yet-- not all that different from any interior monologue. What are the impressions the narrator is making, will he or she stay safely behind the mask or be revealed... What are the signs that the disguise is being penetrated, what clues are available for an effective counter-strategy... Who notices what, and how will things turn out...
All very jolly, and properly implemented can tilt toward suspense, adventure, paranoia, dystopia, or even an evolving nightmare scenario, where norms and identities become uncertain. Here we get to the nervy and disturbing world of Greene, of Ambler, of le Carré. Your basic 'bleak landscape of moral ambiguity' sort of thing, where you get so wrapped up in the intersecting moral dilemmas that you may not even have time for the chase and the showdown at the end. At its best, it's Kafka with concealed weapons and dead drops. And when emulated for form's sake because it's so trippy and cool--well, then it's the kind of thing we have here.
Author Atir would like to do the moral ambiguity bit, and would like to frame it with an undercover-story-gone-wrong. No problem there, sounds intriguing enough to hold up a novel. Surround that with atmosphere that is already electrified--the modern capitol of an Arab country in the Mideast, and that's a winning formula. But somewhere or other, author or translator has dropped a stitch or two; things don't evolve naturally, plausibly, never are we given the sense that anything is inevitably so. Characters are stiff and wooden for long passages but then go effusive and romantically purple on unexpected occasions.
Doing the deep-cover espionage narrative and doing it in cinematic, Hitchcockian logic-- is no simple matter, no matter how well the jigsaw seems to fit once assembled. Adding to it the Graham Greene sense of rueful, conscience-stricken propriety, compounded with the restraint & poise of the veteran secret service officer-- even trickier. Making it seem inevitable-- well, harder still. Reading the jacket blurbs on this book, you'd think this was Shakespeare In A Trenchcoat, a brilliant new conception of espionage thriller, but with scruples.
Nope.
All very jolly, and properly implemented can tilt toward suspense, adventure, paranoia, dystopia, or even an evolving nightmare scenario, where norms and identities become uncertain. Here we get to the nervy and disturbing world of Greene, of Ambler, of le Carré. Your basic 'bleak landscape of moral ambiguity' sort of thing, where you get so wrapped up in the intersecting moral dilemmas that you may not even have time for the chase and the showdown at the end. At its best, it's Kafka with concealed weapons and dead drops. And when emulated for form's sake because it's so trippy and cool--well, then it's the kind of thing we have here.
Author Atir would like to do the moral ambiguity bit, and would like to frame it with an undercover-story-gone-wrong. No problem there, sounds intriguing enough to hold up a novel. Surround that with atmosphere that is already electrified--the modern capitol of an Arab country in the Mideast, and that's a winning formula. But somewhere or other, author or translator has dropped a stitch or two; things don't evolve naturally, plausibly, never are we given the sense that anything is inevitably so. Characters are stiff and wooden for long passages but then go effusive and romantically purple on unexpected occasions.
Doing the deep-cover espionage narrative and doing it in cinematic, Hitchcockian logic-- is no simple matter, no matter how well the jigsaw seems to fit once assembled. Adding to it the Graham Greene sense of rueful, conscience-stricken propriety, compounded with the restraint & poise of the veteran secret service officer-- even trickier. Making it seem inevitable-- well, harder still. Reading the jacket blurbs on this book, you'd think this was Shakespeare In A Trenchcoat, a brilliant new conception of espionage thriller, but with scruples.
Nope.
April 11, 2022
A thrilling espionage novel whose protagonist, Rachel, becomes a spy for Mossad, Israel's intelligent service. The author writes from his own experience in Israeli military and intelligence operations. Rachel's assignments take her deep into Arab territory where danger of discovery is ever present. Her cover is that of a teacher at an English language school where she unexpectedly meets Ravid, a handsome, well-to-do Arab man who has enrolled to improve his English. Nothing could be more complicated than a romantic relationship for her at the moment, but affairs of the heart are not to be denied, and she and Raviv fall in love. Then there's a relationship she has with her operational handler, Ehud, 20 years her senior who pines with a secret and unrequited love for her.Her harrowing maneuvers to carry out her assignments while lying to everyone as she leads her double life will keep you holding your breath and quickly turning the pages.
Atir is a best selling author in Israel and writes with the insider perspective that only could come from personal experience. He has written three earlier books, and I am eager to read more of his work. He's a fine writer, beautifully descriptive and psychologically nuanced.
Atir is a best selling author in Israel and writes with the insider perspective that only could come from personal experience. He has written three earlier books, and I am eager to read more of his work. He's a fine writer, beautifully descriptive and psychologically nuanced.
December 28, 2020
I liked this book very much. Of course it is in English translation, but i found the writing to be very strong and the characters engaging and very human. I read it in two days because i did find it compelling and without hitting us over the head or over explaining, but rather by showing and developing the emotions and decision making based on training . there were many nuanced exchanges.
Like many others i had some problem with the ending. It did not ring true that Rachel would have made the decisions that she did. I was disappointed, and like some other reviewers questioned whether a male would have been handled this way.
Still, i am stingy with my 4 stars and felt that this book in its genre merited them.
Like many others i had some problem with the ending. It did not ring true that Rachel would have made the decisions that she did. I was disappointed, and like some other reviewers questioned whether a male would have been handled this way.
Still, i am stingy with my 4 stars and felt that this book in its genre merited them.
November 6, 2017
A former Mossad agent, who has served as a spy in "an Arab capital city", disappears years after she has retired. Since this cannot be allowed to occur, the novel explores along with her previous employers, where she might have gone and why she might have gone there, except as the reader it does not seem very mysterious where she might have gone or why she might have gone there. I think more specificity and detail about the city she was in might have improved the book. The novel goes back and forth through time and different points of view to portray her experience. This constant shifting was somewhat confusing. The focus on the emotional trials of a spy was vaguely interesting.
July 10, 2020
This book was so compelling that I found myself slowing down in the final pages because I didn't want the story to end. I've never understood what would make a person decide to become a spy, and this book did nothing to clarify that. It did demonstrate how difficult it is for someone to live a life that's never their own, even when they're no longer employed in that capacity. Highly recommend!
November 18, 2016
The Washington Post gave this a really nice write-up. So I was very disappointed when it had no great action nor an interesting plot or understandable premise. I muddled through the whole thing and thoroughly disliked the ending. Just unsatisfying.
May 18, 2017
HATED the ending of this. Just way too quick to feel like there was a true resolution. And Ehud pining away for her all those years while he had a wife and family- NOPE. Men wanting women 30 yrs younger...gross.
July 10, 2018
I loved the way this book started.... the first page was so lyrically written, I could really see the words in their original language.
It’s not an easy book..... but it’s worth the time.
It’s not an easy book..... but it’s worth the time.
June 18, 2017
See my review at http://www.thereportergroup.org/Artic...
May 24, 2020
Spy thrillers are not a genre I read generally (the book was a gift). I was pleasantly surprised by how caught up I got in the operations and the characters involved in them.
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