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Ester's Child
The novel, Ester's Child, opens on January 7, 1948. The momentous declaration of the new State of Israel is only four months away and Muslim and Jewish forces are fighting fiercely over an ancient land they are prepared to die for. On this day, two events occur which irreversibly alter the lives of three families forever.THE Gale Family: Joseph and Ester Gale lost most of their family members to the holocaust that destroyed Europe's once vibrant Jewish communities. Now lonely holocaust survivors living in Palestine and fighting for the dream of a Jewish state, the young couple are anxiously awaiting the birth of their third child.THE Antoun Family: During the heated battle for the hillside city of Haifa, Palestine, George and Mary Antoun are forced to flee the only home they have ever known. Not allowed to return home even at war's end the Palestinian couple are forced to raise their extraordinary son, Demetrius, in the Shatila refugee camp in Beruit, Lebanon.THE Kleist Family: Even as the Arabs and Jews collide in their struggle for control of Palestine former S.S. officer Friedrich Kleist's life is fueled by haunting nightmares of the atrocities he witnessed while serving as a German guard in the Warsaw Ghetto. When his daughter Christine travels to Beiruit to volunteet as a nurse at Shatila Camp, she falls in love with Demetrius Antoun. This love leads Christine to a remarkable story that happened in Poland a generation ago.When these three families are united in a searing drama you will never forget, readers are taken on an emotional roller-coaster ride of tradgedy, hope, and ultimate renewal. The exceptional medley of dazzling story-telling historical purity and exhilarating adventure that Jean Sasson captures in this memorable epic make Ester's Child impossible to put down.
First published September 1, 2001
About the author
Jean Sasson
42 books1,624 followersJean Sasson was born in a small town in Alabama. An avid reader from an early age, she had read all the books in her school library by the time she was 15 years old. She also began her book collection at age 15. When given the chance to travel, Sasson accepted a position at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, and lived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 12 years. She traveled extensively, visiting 66 countries over the course of 30 years.
Jean started her writing career in 1991 when she wrote the book, THE RAPE OF KUWAIT. The book was an instant best-seller, reaching #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. When the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington heard that soldiers sent to free Kuwait did not know why they were there, the Embassy sent 200,000 copies to the region. Later Sasson wrote PRINCESS: A TRUE STORY OF LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL IN SAUDI ARABIA, which is the story of a princess in the royal house of al-Sa'ud. The book was an international bestseller published in 68 different editions (also staying on the NYTIMES bestseller list for 13 weeks). Later Sasson wrote two sequels (DAUGHTERS AND CIRCLE). Please visit this link to read an interview with the author about her book "Princess": http://reith-jerevinan.blogspot.com/2....
Other groundbreaking books followed: MAYADA, DAUGHTER OF IRAQ; ESTER'S CHILD; LOVE IN A TORN LAND; GROWING UP BIN LADEN (please visit this page to read an in-depth interview with Jean Sasson about "Growing Up bin Laden" http://www.thedailybeast.com/contribu... and FOR THE LOVE OF A SON.
In March 2012, an e-book short was released: AMERICAN CHICK IN SAUDI ARABIA, which consists of the first three chapters of Sasson's autobiography. On the second day of release, the book reached #1 on Barnes & Noble biography bestseller list. Jean's latest release is YASMEENA'S CHOICE, a heartbreaker of a story about two women (one Kuwaiti and the other Lebanese) kidnapped to be raped & tortured by the Iraqi special forces in occupied Kuwait. (Please visit this link to see an itnerview with Jean Sasson about her newest book "Yasmeena's Choice: http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainmen...).
Jean's 12th book, PRINCESS, MORE TEARS to CRY has just been released and is available in the English language in most countries. Foreign editions will be available throughout the next year. Jean Sasson's official website is: www.jeansasson.com.
Jean started her writing career in 1991 when she wrote the book, THE RAPE OF KUWAIT. The book was an instant best-seller, reaching #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. When the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington heard that soldiers sent to free Kuwait did not know why they were there, the Embassy sent 200,000 copies to the region. Later Sasson wrote PRINCESS: A TRUE STORY OF LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL IN SAUDI ARABIA, which is the story of a princess in the royal house of al-Sa'ud. The book was an international bestseller published in 68 different editions (also staying on the NYTIMES bestseller list for 13 weeks). Later Sasson wrote two sequels (DAUGHTERS AND CIRCLE). Please visit this link to read an interview with the author about her book "Princess": http://reith-jerevinan.blogspot.com/2....
Other groundbreaking books followed: MAYADA, DAUGHTER OF IRAQ; ESTER'S CHILD; LOVE IN A TORN LAND; GROWING UP BIN LADEN (please visit this page to read an in-depth interview with Jean Sasson about "Growing Up bin Laden" http://www.thedailybeast.com/contribu... and FOR THE LOVE OF A SON.
In March 2012, an e-book short was released: AMERICAN CHICK IN SAUDI ARABIA, which consists of the first three chapters of Sasson's autobiography. On the second day of release, the book reached #1 on Barnes & Noble biography bestseller list. Jean's latest release is YASMEENA'S CHOICE, a heartbreaker of a story about two women (one Kuwaiti and the other Lebanese) kidnapped to be raped & tortured by the Iraqi special forces in occupied Kuwait. (Please visit this link to see an itnerview with Jean Sasson about her newest book "Yasmeena's Choice: http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainmen...).
Jean's 12th book, PRINCESS, MORE TEARS to CRY has just been released and is available in the English language in most countries. Foreign editions will be available throughout the next year. Jean Sasson's official website is: www.jeansasson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 24, 2011
I'm the author of this book, and although I generally write the stories of Muslim women, since an early age I was instinctively drawn to the lives of Palestinians who lost their homes and country, Jews who survived the Holocaust, and Germans who lived under Hitler. After reading all the books in my small-school library, I started saving money to start my book collection. At age 15, the first book I purchased was THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH by William Shirer, later reading BERLIN DIARY and RETURN TO BERLIN by the same author. Early on I also read all the books written by Hermann Wouk and Leon Uris, authors who wrote about the Jewish experience. I was also drawn to read everything written about Hitler, and most captivated by the books detailing his personal life. I was drawn like a fly to a spider to try and understand how he became a man who could order the deaths of millions of innocent people. My love of history and my particular interest World War II and all the repercussions from that horrific war, caused me to write a historical fiction novel. Additionally, when I was visiting the Shatila Camp in Lebanon, an elderly Palestinian woman told a little story about an Arab boy which made me wonder about the Arab children lost during the Castatrophe of 1948, when Arabs were fleeing their homeland to take up refugee status in Lebanon, Jordan, or Syria.
It took me three long years to write ESTER'S CHILD, and I must admit that it is one of my favorite books I authored. As the author, anytime there is a reprint, I am required to read the book. Every time I weep! Jack always smiles when he sees my reaction, asking me, "Honey, you didn't know how that book ended?" It's a family joke now. ANYHOW, while I'm known for stories about individual women who have overcome enormous trials of life, most people who read ESTER'S CHILD write and tell me that it is their favorite of all the books I have written. This is a surprise for me, I admit. The book will soon be available in ebooks, so I'm hoping that more people can read it.
It took me three long years to write ESTER'S CHILD, and I must admit that it is one of my favorite books I authored. As the author, anytime there is a reprint, I am required to read the book. Every time I weep! Jack always smiles when he sees my reaction, asking me, "Honey, you didn't know how that book ended?" It's a family joke now. ANYHOW, while I'm known for stories about individual women who have overcome enormous trials of life, most people who read ESTER'S CHILD write and tell me that it is their favorite of all the books I have written. This is a surprise for me, I admit. The book will soon be available in ebooks, so I'm hoping that more people can read it.
October 30, 2012
This book is very well written, has a good plot, and well-developed interesting characters. The reason I am giving it five stars is because of the way it takes the historical Palestinian-Israeli conflict down to a very personal, individual/family level, allowing the reader to experience the individual pain and conflict without, at least from what I recall, getting swayed too much one way or the other politically. When I finished the book (read it twice but not recently) I thought that the conflict is certainly not an easy one, there is no easy answer, and neither side can claim to be completely right or completely wrong. That is not meant to make a political statement; I am merely saying that the pain on an individual level runs deep. A very worthwhile read.
October 6, 2017
This is a novel that spans from the Holocaust to Israel and includes 3 families whose lives are all intertwined by both love and hatred. Although I enjoyed the book I ended up only reading the beginning and end leaving the story of the Antoine family out.
February 16, 2014
A work of historical fiction, Ester's Child is a mesmerizing novel focusing on the impact of external forces on the lives of three families, the Steins/Gale, who are Jewish; the Antons, who are Palestinian Arabs; and the Kleists, who are Germans. The story opens in 1948, Jerusalem, when the UN General Assembly partitioned Palestine to establish a Jewish homeland thereby displacing many of the Palestinian people from their land.
Flashback to 1938 and Poland where we are introduced to the wealthy Stein family. When the family vacations in Paris, their daughter Ester meets Joseph Gale; the two fall in love. They marry and the promise to bring Ester to Poland for the birth of their first child is fulfilled. Coincidently it is also during the time of the rise of Adolf Hitler and his march into Poland. The Jews are herded into the Warsaw Ghetto and face brutality, starvation, and death. Those who survive are sent to the concentration camps. Only a few members of the Gale and Stein families survive and after a horrendous experience, manage to escape the country and relocate to Palestine.
The story shifts to Palestine where the Anton family who have lived in Palestine many years are suddenly uprooted, along with many other Palestinian families when a war breaks out between Israel and Palestine. The family makes its way to a refugee camp near the Lebanon border. The situation there is deplorable. A teacher and scholar, George Anton was a teacher in Haifa prior to leaving Palestine. He makes sure that his son, Demetrius, never forgets their homeland. Once again the family decides to leave that camp and immigrate to Beirut, Lebanon to another refugee camp - Shatila Camp where they suffer more indignities, but somehow manage to survive and lead a relatively peaceful life until they are attacked by Israel during yet another war. Always on the minds of many of the refugees is that one day they will return to Palestine, their homeland.
Sasson weaves a powerful story showing the impact of a decision made by outside forces on everyone involved, (Hitler's decision to invade Poland, the British and American leaders to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine.) We, the readers, see the cause and effect relationship between a Jewish family, a Palestinian family, and a Nazi SS officer. A detailed account, the author includes an historical summary dating back to 70 AD up until the time of the creation of the Jewish state in 1948, Germany's march into Poland and France; the 1968 war and the PLO, Israel's invasion of Lebanon and the siege of West Beirut, in 1982. While history informs the novel, at the heart, it is the story of love between a man and woman, between parents and children, and friends. It's also the story of loss of identity brought on by war and man's inhumanity to man.
Flashback to 1938 and Poland where we are introduced to the wealthy Stein family. When the family vacations in Paris, their daughter Ester meets Joseph Gale; the two fall in love. They marry and the promise to bring Ester to Poland for the birth of their first child is fulfilled. Coincidently it is also during the time of the rise of Adolf Hitler and his march into Poland. The Jews are herded into the Warsaw Ghetto and face brutality, starvation, and death. Those who survive are sent to the concentration camps. Only a few members of the Gale and Stein families survive and after a horrendous experience, manage to escape the country and relocate to Palestine.
The story shifts to Palestine where the Anton family who have lived in Palestine many years are suddenly uprooted, along with many other Palestinian families when a war breaks out between Israel and Palestine. The family makes its way to a refugee camp near the Lebanon border. The situation there is deplorable. A teacher and scholar, George Anton was a teacher in Haifa prior to leaving Palestine. He makes sure that his son, Demetrius, never forgets their homeland. Once again the family decides to leave that camp and immigrate to Beirut, Lebanon to another refugee camp - Shatila Camp where they suffer more indignities, but somehow manage to survive and lead a relatively peaceful life until they are attacked by Israel during yet another war. Always on the minds of many of the refugees is that one day they will return to Palestine, their homeland.
Sasson weaves a powerful story showing the impact of a decision made by outside forces on everyone involved, (Hitler's decision to invade Poland, the British and American leaders to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine.) We, the readers, see the cause and effect relationship between a Jewish family, a Palestinian family, and a Nazi SS officer. A detailed account, the author includes an historical summary dating back to 70 AD up until the time of the creation of the Jewish state in 1948, Germany's march into Poland and France; the 1968 war and the PLO, Israel's invasion of Lebanon and the siege of West Beirut, in 1982. While history informs the novel, at the heart, it is the story of love between a man and woman, between parents and children, and friends. It's also the story of loss of identity brought on by war and man's inhumanity to man.
September 25, 2011
Generations of three families (Jewish, Arab, and German) are affected by the turmoil of the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts from WW II and on. These families are also intermingled in unlikely ways. The story was somewhat predictable and love affair parts were unnecessary. A New Testament scripture verse was taken out of context. With all this, there was great value for me in reading the historical explanations throughout the story. I was glad to see a pretty good balance of the pain and losses and suffering experienced by both Jews and Palestinians.
November 21, 2008
I really love Historical fiction. This story is set during the conflicts over Jeruselem after WWII. I enjoyed this book because it showed you two very loving families, one Arab, one Jewish, and the horrible struggles they went through during this time period. ( Most of the time all I've heard about is the Jewish side.) It also showed the dehumanization of each side by killing. I liked it but wasn't that impressed with the ending.
May 14, 2009
A really gripping historical novel that weaves a tale centered on
relationships between generations of an Arab, Jewish and German family.
I now have a better understanding of the history that has led
to the ever changing and volatile Israeli / Palestinian conflicts.
Reading this book has made current events in that part of
the world more meaningful, personal and understandable for me. A fairly quick
read because I couldn't put it down! I highly recommend this book!
relationships between generations of an Arab, Jewish and German family.
I now have a better understanding of the history that has led
to the ever changing and volatile Israeli / Palestinian conflicts.
Reading this book has made current events in that part of
the world more meaningful, personal and understandable for me. A fairly quick
read because I couldn't put it down! I highly recommend this book!
November 28, 2010
An interesting story with several twists. It involves three families whose lives intertwine. A wealthy Jewish family in the Warsaw Ghetto, a Palestinian family in a refugee camp in Lebanon and the daughter of an SS officer who was a guard in the Warsaw Ghetto. What I found most interesting was the perspective of the displaced Arabs who were driven out of Palestine and forced to live in squalid conditions in the refugee camps.
August 26, 2010
For the most part a pretty good read. What I really liked were the pages of actual history intespersed with the story - it gave a short concise bit of factual information on some parts of history I had either never known or had forgotten about.
The story line is pretty far-fetched, and way too predictable, but a worthwhile book nonetheless.
The story line is pretty far-fetched, and way too predictable, but a worthwhile book nonetheless.
October 29, 2014
A tale woven around the most significant points in world history, the Nazi regime, the conflicts between jews, arabs, germans as races and as individuals going through inexplicable atrocities. Life and times of 4 families during that time frame with seemingly insurmountable odds. Very touching, gripping and thought provoking.
July 8, 2009
The historical aspect of this book was amazing. I learned a lot about the Jewish/Palestinian conflict within a memorable novel. The only reason I don't give it five huge stars is that the ending of the story seemed a little unbelievable to me.
Read
July 29, 2011I teach history, and I have studied both the Holocaust and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict extensively. Ester's Child is an excellent portrayal of the historical aspects and super-charged emotions of this very complex conflict. I will be adding it to my recommended readings list in my syllabus.
September 15, 2014
Fantastic book! Truly a great historical fiction read.
Gives quite an understanding of the Palestinian/Israeli/Lebanon conflict.
Covers the WW2 through to the early '80's.
Well written, heaps of clear info and a great story.
Highly recommended!
Gives quite an understanding of the Palestinian/Israeli/Lebanon conflict.
Covers the WW2 through to the early '80's.
Well written, heaps of clear info and a great story.
Highly recommended!
March 13, 2008
WW11 Araba/Jews/germans
January 7, 2010
One of my all time favorite books. Great way to begin a journey to understanding the upheaval in the mideast.
December 7, 2010
Fantastic book!! Jean Sasson is one of my favorites!
February 14, 2011
Jean Sasson is an entrancing author. All of her books are my "favorites". They deserve their own catagory. I would recommend this and her other books to everyone.
May 30, 2011
This is a great book. Very suspensful in parts and helps the reader understand the history of Isreal/Palestine.
March 23, 2013
I never would have read this book if it wasn't for book club. The ending was weak, but it was worth the time.
September 14, 2013
loved it
November 5, 2017
Very good book. Interesting twists and insights into different sides of the Israel - Palestine peoples.
August 14, 2019
Loved reading this book. It gave me thoughts on different perspectives of the Arab/Israeli conflict. The characters were strong.
I loved that the author put a list of characters at the beginning of each section. I needed the reminder of who was who and where they belonged.
I loved that the author put a list of characters at the beginning of each section. I needed the reminder of who was who and where they belonged.
October 3, 2011
For the first 100+ pages it was fascinating. I was really enjoying it. It was about a Jewish family in Poland and France during WWII who then move to Jerusalem. And it paralleled the story of a Palestinian boy--the only surviving child of 11 children. But it then got a little sleazy and the ending was like it came straight from a Soap Oprah. Every single character's romance was linked in some unbelievable way with someone else. A Jewish boy, kidnapped and raised as a Palestinian gets engaged to a Jewish girl in NYC. Suddenly he finds out that he is in fact a kidnapped Jew and his fiance turns out to be his birth sister! Tragedy. And then . . . oh, all is well. She was just adopted. They're not really related. And his new found birth brother marries the German girl the Palestinian (kidnapped Jew) cast-off when he got interested in his adoptive sister. But the German girl turns out to be the daughter of the Nazi soldier who murdered his parents family and miraculously the parents somehow know she's the daughter of that particular Nazi. Like I said, it suddenly goes from a very interesting WWII story to a Soap Oprah. Very disappointing.
March 6, 2015
A work of historical fiction, Ester's Child is a mesmerizing novel focusing on the impact of external forces on the lives of three families, the Steins/Gale, who are Jewish; the Antons, who are Palestinian Arabs; and the Kleists, who are Germans. The story opens in 1948, Jerusalem, when the UN General Assembly partitioned Palestine to establish a Jewish homeland thereby displacing many of the Palestinian people from their land. It talks about their experiences and what they went threw. Its a great read.
July 22, 2013
I finally skimmed the book & skipped parts of it to get to the end. It was not well written. Apparently this author has written other books but this is the first time she has written historical fiction. I am not moved to read her other books. This book felt as if it was written by a first time author who has a long way to go.
Want to Read
December 27, 2009rec. by Candy
April 3, 2010
It's OK so far....
July 5, 2024
Ester's Child is a historical saga that tackles weighty themes of love, loss, and the search for identity against the backdrop of the tumultuous Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The novel opens in 1948, a time of hope and violence as the State of Israel is declared. We meet three families whose lives become irreversibly intertwined. The Gales, Jewish Holocaust survivors in Palestine, anxiously await the birth of their child while fighting for their dream of a Jewish homeland. The Antouns, a Palestinian family, are forced to flee their home in Haifa during the conflict, becoming refugees in Beirut. And finally, there's the Kleist family in Germany, haunted by the horrors of the Holocaust the former SS officer Friedrich Kleist witnessed. The narrative then unfolds across decades and continents, revealing how the choices and tragedies of the past continue to reverberate in the present.
Sasson's strength lies in her epic scope. The novel is a rich tapestry woven from the experiences of these interconnected families. We witness the Gales grapple with the lingering trauma of the Holocaust while building a new life in Israel. The Antouns struggle to maintain hope and identity in the harsh realities of a refugee camp. And the forbidden love story between Christine, the daughter of the guilt-ridden SS officer, and Demetrius, the son of the displaced Palestinian family, adds another layer of emotional complexity.
Ester's Child is a powerful and moving novel, but it's not without its weaknesses. The writing style can be melodramatic at times, and the plot occasionally relies on coincidence and dramatic twists. Some readers may find the focus on forbidden love and the emotional intensity overwhelming.
For those who enjoy historical fiction with a strong emotional core, Ester's Child offers a captivating journey. It provides a glimpse into the human cost of conflict, the enduring power of love and forgiveness, and the search for belonging in a world forever marked by the scars of the past.
The novel opens in 1948, a time of hope and violence as the State of Israel is declared. We meet three families whose lives become irreversibly intertwined. The Gales, Jewish Holocaust survivors in Palestine, anxiously await the birth of their child while fighting for their dream of a Jewish homeland. The Antouns, a Palestinian family, are forced to flee their home in Haifa during the conflict, becoming refugees in Beirut. And finally, there's the Kleist family in Germany, haunted by the horrors of the Holocaust the former SS officer Friedrich Kleist witnessed. The narrative then unfolds across decades and continents, revealing how the choices and tragedies of the past continue to reverberate in the present.
Sasson's strength lies in her epic scope. The novel is a rich tapestry woven from the experiences of these interconnected families. We witness the Gales grapple with the lingering trauma of the Holocaust while building a new life in Israel. The Antouns struggle to maintain hope and identity in the harsh realities of a refugee camp. And the forbidden love story between Christine, the daughter of the guilt-ridden SS officer, and Demetrius, the son of the displaced Palestinian family, adds another layer of emotional complexity.
Ester's Child is a powerful and moving novel, but it's not without its weaknesses. The writing style can be melodramatic at times, and the plot occasionally relies on coincidence and dramatic twists. Some readers may find the focus on forbidden love and the emotional intensity overwhelming.
For those who enjoy historical fiction with a strong emotional core, Ester's Child offers a captivating journey. It provides a glimpse into the human cost of conflict, the enduring power of love and forgiveness, and the search for belonging in a world forever marked by the scars of the past.
December 10, 2020
I do not understand how this book has such a high rating. I found this on my library's "free" table. They were giving it away because no one had taken it out in years.
The book it divided up into sections. From one section to the next, the story jumps forward in time changes location several times. At the beginning of each section there is a list of all the characters. This should not need to be done. If you have so many characters that you think, the reader needs a list, there are too many characters. Or if you think the reader needs the list, then you have a pretty low opinion of your reader.
The way that the sections chopped the story up, I was left with questions. How did they escape? I think this was explained later, but it was like one line. Lazy author. That would have been interesting to read. For crying out loud, I sloshed through all this build up--just when it was getting excited we changed decades, continents, characters, and religion.
It was hard to really get invested in the characters. The author came up with a BIG story, too big, but it wasn't enjoyable. About thirty pages from the end I figured out what the big "OH WOW!!!" reveal was, but had to trudge through misunderstandings, regret, and hysterics.
It was no surprise to me why no one was taking this book out of library.
The book it divided up into sections. From one section to the next, the story jumps forward in time changes location several times. At the beginning of each section there is a list of all the characters. This should not need to be done. If you have so many characters that you think, the reader needs a list, there are too many characters. Or if you think the reader needs the list, then you have a pretty low opinion of your reader.
The way that the sections chopped the story up, I was left with questions. How did they escape? I think this was explained later, but it was like one line. Lazy author. That would have been interesting to read. For crying out loud, I sloshed through all this build up--just when it was getting excited we changed decades, continents, characters, and religion.
It was hard to really get invested in the characters. The author came up with a BIG story, too big, but it wasn't enjoyable. About thirty pages from the end I figured out what the big "OH WOW!!!" reveal was, but had to trudge through misunderstandings, regret, and hysterics.
It was no surprise to me why no one was taking this book out of library.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews