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Promised Land
From author Martin Fletcher comes Promised Land, an epic family saga that crosses the globeThe tumultuous early years of the young Jewish state are brought to vivid life through the eyes of two German Jewish brothers. Arie survived the Holocaust in Europe. Peter, one year older, was sent to America before the war began.They find each other again in Israel, learning everyone else in their family has been murdered. Peter becomes a top Mossad agent, deeply involved in many of the key spy adventures of the era. Arie becomes a scheming businessman, among the richest men in Israel: one brother is building the state, the other protecting it. But they have fallen in love with the same woman, a Jewish refugee from Egypt. The brothers jealousies and intrigues are mirrored by the young nation's very own struggles to survive.Praise for Promised Land: "Promised Land is a great sweeping epic...a moving story of triumph and tragedy, new love and historic hate, expertly told by a cast of unforgettable characters. Fletcher's writing is superb and rises to the level of importance that this story demands and deserves." Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Cuban Affair"What a story [Fletcher] has chosen to tell, the coming into being of Israel, set against a family saga in the style of the great European novels. Promised Land is a novel that has much to teach your head and even more, your heart." Joseph Telushkin, New York Times bestselling author of Rebbe, Jewish Literacy, and Words that Hurt, Words that Heal[An] epic family saga, set against the rich tapestry of the creation of the State of Israel. Masterful in scope, yet intimate in lens, Promised Land is a rich tribute to the human spirit and a triumphant chronicle of one of the important events in modern history. Pam Jenoff, New York Times Bestselling Auth
409 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2018
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2184 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
August 26, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There was a great family dynamic, fantastic character development and enough history on Israel to be interesting. There was intrigue and spying which I loved. Although the premise of the story is about two brothers who are in love with the same woman, there is so much more to this story.
I laughed and I cried and I enjoyed the history of Israel and learning more about them an their state. That may be the Christian in me, but I found it very interesting and enjoyable. I love good character development as well and this book gave me what I always crave. I loved the characters and getting to know them; the good and the bad. They were real people who had been through so much and as they got older those things affected them through their lives.
This is another book I would not have normally picked up and I am so happy that I did. What a great book.
I laughed and I cried and I enjoyed the history of Israel and learning more about them an their state. That may be the Christian in me, but I found it very interesting and enjoyable. I love good character development as well and this book gave me what I always crave. I loved the characters and getting to know them; the good and the bad. They were real people who had been through so much and as they got older those things affected them through their lives.
This is another book I would not have normally picked up and I am so happy that I did. What a great book.
June 30, 2019
TURBULENT FOUNDING
Promised Land is a compulsively readable historical novel involving the founding of Israel. It features geopolitical suspense and romance woven into the turbulence that marked Israel’s early years.
TWO BROTHERS, ONE WOMAN
The story involves two brothers who vie for the same woman as life-and-death political strife ensues.
VETERAN JOURNALIST
Authored with a graceful hand by veteran journalist Martin Fletcher, former head of the NBC TV Tel Aviv News Bureau. 5/5
I received a review copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.
#PromisedLand #NetGalley
Promised Land is a compulsively readable historical novel involving the founding of Israel. It features geopolitical suspense and romance woven into the turbulence that marked Israel’s early years.
TWO BROTHERS, ONE WOMAN
The story involves two brothers who vie for the same woman as life-and-death political strife ensues.
VETERAN JOURNALIST
Authored with a graceful hand by veteran journalist Martin Fletcher, former head of the NBC TV Tel Aviv News Bureau. 5/5
I received a review copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.
#PromisedLand #NetGalley
April 8, 2020
the first several chapters were spectacular ... intriguing characters were introduced ... the dialogue between the characters was sharp and engaging ... the emerging story lines were promising ... I was an excited reader
but then two things happened ...
the history overwhelmed the characters ... while the history of Israel is fascinating and it was well presented, too much history and too many different historical themes took the focus away from the character's emotional turmoil that was almost developed but too often left just short of the potential that was there ...
the other problem was the resolution and ending ... for almost all of the 2nd half of the story, I had the feeling the author could not quite decide what he wanted his major characters to do, and so they were indecisive ... then the story abruptly ended in what for me was a very unsatisfying way
despite its flaws, PROMISED LAND was still in many ways a good read ... I guess I'm disappointed because I think it could have been so much better
but then two things happened ...
the history overwhelmed the characters ... while the history of Israel is fascinating and it was well presented, too much history and too many different historical themes took the focus away from the character's emotional turmoil that was almost developed but too often left just short of the potential that was there ...
the other problem was the resolution and ending ... for almost all of the 2nd half of the story, I had the feeling the author could not quite decide what he wanted his major characters to do, and so they were indecisive ... then the story abruptly ended in what for me was a very unsatisfying way
despite its flaws, PROMISED LAND was still in many ways a good read ... I guess I'm disappointed because I think it could have been so much better
June 18, 2019
Promised Land is a compulsively readable historical novel involving the founding of Israel. It features geopolitical suspense and romance woven into the turbulence that marked Israel’s early years. The story involves two brothers who vie for the same woman as life-and-death political strife ensues. Authored with a graceful hand by veteran journalist Martin Fletcher, former head of the NBC TV Tel Aviv News Bureau. 5/5
I received a review copy from Thomas Dunne Books through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.
#PromisedLand #NetGalley
I received a review copy from Thomas Dunne Books through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.
#PromisedLand #NetGalley
June 10, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC of Promised Land. In exchange I am offering my honest review.
Martin Fletcher chose to focus his newest novel on a topic that is very near and dear to me. I am fascinated and astonished by the young State of Israel, which has risen from ashes and desert and emerged as a flourishing country filled with innovation, technology, beauty and tradition. The pioneers, settlers, immigrants and founders of Israel formed a powerful country and a democratic presence in a hostile environment but at a price. Fletcher does a good job explaining the history and conflicts of the early years of Israel's statehood and delivers it in an interesting way. Still reeling from the horrors and pain of the Holocaust many a people in the novel are still struggling to cope with their loss and create new lives and homes for themselves while trying to deal with ghosts from the past. Everybody has a secret and a burden to bear.
Where this story failed for me was within the telling and setup of the love triangle between Tamara and the two brothers. I found the writing awkward and stilted. I literally cringed when Fletcher attempted to describe the passion and heat between the couples, it felt sloppy and juvenile. I don’t think the romance served any plot movement and it really removed me from the story. If you are reading this book for the historical component, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed however if you are looking for a sizzling love story this might not be a sure fire hit.
Martin Fletcher chose to focus his newest novel on a topic that is very near and dear to me. I am fascinated and astonished by the young State of Israel, which has risen from ashes and desert and emerged as a flourishing country filled with innovation, technology, beauty and tradition. The pioneers, settlers, immigrants and founders of Israel formed a powerful country and a democratic presence in a hostile environment but at a price. Fletcher does a good job explaining the history and conflicts of the early years of Israel's statehood and delivers it in an interesting way. Still reeling from the horrors and pain of the Holocaust many a people in the novel are still struggling to cope with their loss and create new lives and homes for themselves while trying to deal with ghosts from the past. Everybody has a secret and a burden to bear.
Where this story failed for me was within the telling and setup of the love triangle between Tamara and the two brothers. I found the writing awkward and stilted. I literally cringed when Fletcher attempted to describe the passion and heat between the couples, it felt sloppy and juvenile. I don’t think the romance served any plot movement and it really removed me from the story. If you are reading this book for the historical component, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed however if you are looking for a sizzling love story this might not be a sure fire hit.
September 24, 2018
Promised Land by Martin Fletcher was written as a family saga set during the first 20 years of the birth of the Jewish homeland, Israel. It was very readable and gave good insights into the lives of the people of Israel during those early years. Fletcher was good at capturing the reluctance of the survivors of the concentration camps to open up about their ordeals. How the survivors repressed these memories but Fletcher was able to capture how the survivors never forgot and how those repressed memories influenced the way they led their lives consciously or unconsciously.
The Berg family lived in Munich, Germany at the beginning of World War II. In addition to the parents there were two brothers, Aren (later to be called Arie) and Peter and two sisters. The parents, in November 1939, made arrangement for the oldest son, Peter, to relocate to America. Sponsored by Quakers, Peter was successfully placed with a loving family in Wisconsin. The remainder of the family was forced to wait to see if their visas would be approved. Time was not on their side. The rest of the family was transported to concentration camps. Aren, later known as Arie, ended up in Auschwitz. He survived somehow but was not proud of the means he had to take to survive and it would haunt him every day for the rest of his life.
Peter and Arie were reunited in Israel during its earliest days of becoming the country it now is. Peter was a Mossad agent and Arie, a young entrepreneur. The philosophies of the two brothers could not have been further apart. Peter was focused on keeping Israel safe and allowing it to prosper in a safe way while Arie was determined on building Israel up with houses, roads, businesses and anything that would afford him good profits. The two brothers also both loved the same woman, Tamara, an Egyptian Jew refuge, forced to leave Egypt. Tamara, was also in love with both brothers, but circumstances led her to marry Arie. Peter married Diana later and both families had children. Both Arie and Peter, grateful to have found family, spent as much time together as their busy lives allowed.
I particularly enjoyed the historical significance in Promised Land. Martin Fletcher allowed the reader to relive the decisions, consequences and feats that Israel endured during the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the Six Days War of 1967. Through Arie's role and an Israeli commander in the Army and Peter's role as a Mossad operative the reader gets an inside look at these two crucial parts in Israel's history.
I really enjoyed reading Promised Land by Martin Fletcher. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this e-arc version of this remarkable book. I look forward to the next installment in this trilogy. I highly recommend Promised Land.
The Berg family lived in Munich, Germany at the beginning of World War II. In addition to the parents there were two brothers, Aren (later to be called Arie) and Peter and two sisters. The parents, in November 1939, made arrangement for the oldest son, Peter, to relocate to America. Sponsored by Quakers, Peter was successfully placed with a loving family in Wisconsin. The remainder of the family was forced to wait to see if their visas would be approved. Time was not on their side. The rest of the family was transported to concentration camps. Aren, later known as Arie, ended up in Auschwitz. He survived somehow but was not proud of the means he had to take to survive and it would haunt him every day for the rest of his life.
Peter and Arie were reunited in Israel during its earliest days of becoming the country it now is. Peter was a Mossad agent and Arie, a young entrepreneur. The philosophies of the two brothers could not have been further apart. Peter was focused on keeping Israel safe and allowing it to prosper in a safe way while Arie was determined on building Israel up with houses, roads, businesses and anything that would afford him good profits. The two brothers also both loved the same woman, Tamara, an Egyptian Jew refuge, forced to leave Egypt. Tamara, was also in love with both brothers, but circumstances led her to marry Arie. Peter married Diana later and both families had children. Both Arie and Peter, grateful to have found family, spent as much time together as their busy lives allowed.
I particularly enjoyed the historical significance in Promised Land. Martin Fletcher allowed the reader to relive the decisions, consequences and feats that Israel endured during the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the Six Days War of 1967. Through Arie's role and an Israeli commander in the Army and Peter's role as a Mossad operative the reader gets an inside look at these two crucial parts in Israel's history.
I really enjoyed reading Promised Land by Martin Fletcher. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this e-arc version of this remarkable book. I look forward to the next installment in this trilogy. I highly recommend Promised Land.
April 9, 2019
Martin Fletcher, veteran Middle East reporter, crafts an historical fiction story set in 1960’s Israel. His main characters are brothers Arie and Peter Nesher, along with Tamara, a young refugee from Cairo. In truth, the brothers are refugees as well. Peter escaped Hitler’s Germany when his parents sent him to America as a teen. Arie survived the concentration camps, and fled to Israel.
The brothers couldn’t be more different. Peter is an intelligence officer with Mossad. Arie is a talented businessman, with questionable morals. But the one thing they have in common is Tamara.
Fletcher’s characters are well-developed, and the families they build are absorbing. The arc of history at that time is one I’m mostly unfamiliar with. Learning the details from one who experienced them adds layers of depth to this book.
The author touches on the Holocaust, the challenges of building a new country in a hostile land, as well as the efforts of Israeli intelligence to right past wrongs done to Jews. He also discusses the attitudes and perspective of three Israeli generations.
My conclusions
The historical aspects of Promised Land intrigued me. I’d like to do more reading about this time and people’s experience in it. In fact, I have a memoir and another novel on my shelves right now.
I appreciated knowing that Fletcher had concrete, real-life experience. It shows in his writing, although it occasionally became dry as a news report. On the whole, though, I was drawn into the story.
The economic and human effects of the Israeli / Palestine wars are clearly delineated. We see Peter’s role in the covert aspects of war. And, at the same time, what happens when Arie the businessman gets repeatedly called up to defend his country.
On the other hand, the various romances fell flat for me. Writing about young characters means relationships will happen. But Fletcher just doesn’t have the touch. His sex scenes are obviously written by a man for a male audience. So they didn’t do it for me.
Fletcher also flubbed the ending, in my view. He left several loose story ends, which was frustrating. It just felt abrupt and unsatisfying.
But, if you enjoy historical fiction from a unique time and place, give this one a try.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Thomas Dunne Books for the opportunity to read this as a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.
For more historical fiction reveiws, please visit my book blog, TheBibliophage.com.
The brothers couldn’t be more different. Peter is an intelligence officer with Mossad. Arie is a talented businessman, with questionable morals. But the one thing they have in common is Tamara.
Fletcher’s characters are well-developed, and the families they build are absorbing. The arc of history at that time is one I’m mostly unfamiliar with. Learning the details from one who experienced them adds layers of depth to this book.
The author touches on the Holocaust, the challenges of building a new country in a hostile land, as well as the efforts of Israeli intelligence to right past wrongs done to Jews. He also discusses the attitudes and perspective of three Israeli generations.
My conclusions
The historical aspects of Promised Land intrigued me. I’d like to do more reading about this time and people’s experience in it. In fact, I have a memoir and another novel on my shelves right now.
I appreciated knowing that Fletcher had concrete, real-life experience. It shows in his writing, although it occasionally became dry as a news report. On the whole, though, I was drawn into the story.
The economic and human effects of the Israeli / Palestine wars are clearly delineated. We see Peter’s role in the covert aspects of war. And, at the same time, what happens when Arie the businessman gets repeatedly called up to defend his country.
On the other hand, the various romances fell flat for me. Writing about young characters means relationships will happen. But Fletcher just doesn’t have the touch. His sex scenes are obviously written by a man for a male audience. So they didn’t do it for me.
Fletcher also flubbed the ending, in my view. He left several loose story ends, which was frustrating. It just felt abrupt and unsatisfying.
But, if you enjoy historical fiction from a unique time and place, give this one a try.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Thomas Dunne Books for the opportunity to read this as a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.
For more historical fiction reveiws, please visit my book blog, TheBibliophage.com.
September 4, 2018
Gab Promised Land is a remarkable book, covering the lives of the Berg family in Munich, Germany from November, 1939 when the oldest child, Peter, was sponsored by Quakers and relocated to Wisconsin in the United States. Two years later the remainder of the Berg family, still waiting on visas, were interred in various concentration and work camps and were not heard from. Peter was reunited with younger brother Arie in the early days of Israel where they each had their own important contributions, Peter with Mossad and Arie building housing and businesses and making many jobs and much personal wealth. Both grateful to have found any family, they spend what time they can together as their busy lives allow, through the establishment of Israel as an independent country, the Suez Crisis of '56 and the Six Days War of '67.
This is a story of family and sacrifice. It is an all-nighter - a tale you will find it difficult to put down until the very last page. It belongs up there with other classics that bring to life the mosaic of our shared past. It is only as we know and understand and appreciate our history that we can avoid the traps of life that can undermine all that we know and love. And Martin Fletcher brings to us all the life and heart he had observed in the years he spent as the NBC Bureau Chief in Tel Aviv. This is a story to savor, and share. Thank you.
I received a free copy of this trade paperback on August 7, 2018 from Goodreads, Martin Fletcher and Thomas Dunn Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
Pub date Sept 4, 2018
This is a story of family and sacrifice. It is an all-nighter - a tale you will find it difficult to put down until the very last page. It belongs up there with other classics that bring to life the mosaic of our shared past. It is only as we know and understand and appreciate our history that we can avoid the traps of life that can undermine all that we know and love. And Martin Fletcher brings to us all the life and heart he had observed in the years he spent as the NBC Bureau Chief in Tel Aviv. This is a story to savor, and share. Thank you.
I received a free copy of this trade paperback on August 7, 2018 from Goodreads, Martin Fletcher and Thomas Dunn Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
Pub date Sept 4, 2018
May 15, 2018
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Dunne Books for the ARC
Promised Land is a gripping story of the early years of the State of Israel. It covers the 1950's and 60's but is still very relevant today.
History has seperated two brothers just before WWII. Peter is sent to America, Arie to Auschwitz. After the war, with their parents and sisters lost to the Nazis, they meet again in Tel Aviv, where Peter joins the newly appointed Mossad and Arie becomes a selfmade businessman. They both get married and have children.
This book is a mixture of easy digestable homelife and heated political discussions, giving the reader a good insight in Israel's struggle to become a respected country, while war is always imminent.
Within this complex political situation is the story of Tamara, an Egyptian Jewish refugee, in love with both brothers. Will she choose a luxury life with Arie or true love with Peter? An intriguing romance well woven into the bigger picture. The books ends with an unexpected surprise. And no matter what, there's always orange juice...
Promised Land is a gripping story of the early years of the State of Israel. It covers the 1950's and 60's but is still very relevant today.
History has seperated two brothers just before WWII. Peter is sent to America, Arie to Auschwitz. After the war, with their parents and sisters lost to the Nazis, they meet again in Tel Aviv, where Peter joins the newly appointed Mossad and Arie becomes a selfmade businessman. They both get married and have children.
This book is a mixture of easy digestable homelife and heated political discussions, giving the reader a good insight in Israel's struggle to become a respected country, while war is always imminent.
Within this complex political situation is the story of Tamara, an Egyptian Jewish refugee, in love with both brothers. Will she choose a luxury life with Arie or true love with Peter? An intriguing romance well woven into the bigger picture. The books ends with an unexpected surprise. And no matter what, there's always orange juice...
August 7, 2018
Promised Land by Martin Fletcher is not one of the best pieces of historical fiction I've read recently. Fletcher's book was lacking believability as one of the key characters was so eager to lose her virtue thereby setting up the love triangle part of the story. If you could convince yourself that a young woman, brought up in a faith-based home during the 1950s, would so easily lose her virginity then the rest of Promised Land story makes sense.
The characters were a bit lacking in depth. A good story, at least to me, allows you to fall in love with the characters leading to me to care about what happens to them during the story. I never grew to love any of the characters in this book.
Finally, there is some mild sexual activity. Fletcher writes the sex scenes with grace and style.
Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.
The characters were a bit lacking in depth. A good story, at least to me, allows you to fall in love with the characters leading to me to care about what happens to them during the story. I never grew to love any of the characters in this book.
Finally, there is some mild sexual activity. Fletcher writes the sex scenes with grace and style.
Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.
August 30, 2018
Promised Land is a family saga set during the first two decades of the creation of Israel. Arie and Peter are brothers, separated when they were 14 when Peter’s parents sent him to the US before war broke out and the situation got even worse for Jews in Germany. Arie survived Auschwitz and went to Israel, where he built himself up into a business tycoon. Peter left the US army and joined Mossad. The brothers were united, both holding secret feelings of guilt about how they had survived the war. Tamara and her family are Egyptian Jews who fled Egypt to Israel after WW2, meeting the brothers on the same day in a transit camp they were passing through, sealing their mutual fates for good.
I’m a huge fan of both Leon Uris and Herman Wouk. Wouk’s tremendous works on the birth of Israel, The Hope, and The Glory, set the bar super high for me when it comes to historical fiction set in post WW2 Israel, so it is honestly hard to beat that excellence for me. Promised Land is however a compulsively readable novel, and the historical accuracy and use of the author’s knowledge in the storyline is brilliant. Where it didn’t quite make it for me was in the character development and family-related storylines.
The whole love triangle part just didn’t quite work for me, and I found a lot of the characters stilted, flat, and stereotypical. For example, women were often described as if they are trophies, and a lot of the descriptions of “delicious” women’s bodies made me cringe. They have jobs and important parts in the storyline, but they are still often relegated to the back, medals that the men earn, and discard as they wish. Having personally lived in Israel and worked among kibbutzniks and families in desert moshavs, the characters just felt too stereotypical for my liking. However, the descriptions of intrigue, spy games, and wars, as well as the background of Israel in general were really good, and kept me reading until the very end.
This ended up being a 3.5 for me. The story flows and it’s easy to read, but there are moments within the family storyline that are not so believable. Historically though it is very accurate. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!
I’m a huge fan of both Leon Uris and Herman Wouk. Wouk’s tremendous works on the birth of Israel, The Hope, and The Glory, set the bar super high for me when it comes to historical fiction set in post WW2 Israel, so it is honestly hard to beat that excellence for me. Promised Land is however a compulsively readable novel, and the historical accuracy and use of the author’s knowledge in the storyline is brilliant. Where it didn’t quite make it for me was in the character development and family-related storylines.
The whole love triangle part just didn’t quite work for me, and I found a lot of the characters stilted, flat, and stereotypical. For example, women were often described as if they are trophies, and a lot of the descriptions of “delicious” women’s bodies made me cringe. They have jobs and important parts in the storyline, but they are still often relegated to the back, medals that the men earn, and discard as they wish. Having personally lived in Israel and worked among kibbutzniks and families in desert moshavs, the characters just felt too stereotypical for my liking. However, the descriptions of intrigue, spy games, and wars, as well as the background of Israel in general were really good, and kept me reading until the very end.
This ended up being a 3.5 for me. The story flows and it’s easy to read, but there are moments within the family storyline that are not so believable. Historically though it is very accurate. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!
May 13, 2018
Indeed, as the marketing material touts, it is very reminiscent of the book Exodus and it is a very good and fast read. It is an authentic history of the State of Israel with an enjoyable family saga embedded; a saga that includes horrific tales from the holocaust but also the crazy ride of building a country. There are stories of the Mossad (intelligence community), entrepreneurship, family and of course love. Throughout there are many history lessons from this diverse and colorful country. It's told from multiple lenses emphasizing the different Israeli personalities, viewpoints and opinions.
September 4, 2018
This story is a great way to learn more about world history while not necessarily realizing you're learning.
The story begins with an Israeli family sending their oldest son off to safety in America just as WWII is heating up. Pete, renamed Peter in America, has the opportunity to live with an American family while the rest of his family is sent off to concentration camps where they suffer terrible atrocities.
After the war, Peter returns to Israel to work his way up the ranks of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. He begins by looking for his brother, two sisters, and their parents. When he finds his brother Arie, he is thrilled, but also sad to find out none of the rest of their family survived the camps.
Arie is an up-and-coming self-made businessman who is finding success in many different industries. Peter stays with Arie when he is not in the midst of secret missions for Mossad. One of these stays, Peter meets a young girl whom Arie is courting from the refugee camps, and immediately creates a love triangle. This story follows the brothers and the woman they both love, Tamara, throughout the next 20ish years.
The storylines of Peter's intelligence career and Arie's meteoric rise to wealth and power heavily relay the history of Israel and the war over their holy land with bordering Arab countries. Will all survive the war? Who will end up with Tamara's heart?
I just read that this is planned to be the 1st installment of a trilogy, and I would love to continue following the story of these well-developed characters and their very interesting story.
I won a copy of this book from First Reads.
The story begins with an Israeli family sending their oldest son off to safety in America just as WWII is heating up. Pete, renamed Peter in America, has the opportunity to live with an American family while the rest of his family is sent off to concentration camps where they suffer terrible atrocities.
After the war, Peter returns to Israel to work his way up the ranks of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. He begins by looking for his brother, two sisters, and their parents. When he finds his brother Arie, he is thrilled, but also sad to find out none of the rest of their family survived the camps.
Arie is an up-and-coming self-made businessman who is finding success in many different industries. Peter stays with Arie when he is not in the midst of secret missions for Mossad. One of these stays, Peter meets a young girl whom Arie is courting from the refugee camps, and immediately creates a love triangle. This story follows the brothers and the woman they both love, Tamara, throughout the next 20ish years.
The storylines of Peter's intelligence career and Arie's meteoric rise to wealth and power heavily relay the history of Israel and the war over their holy land with bordering Arab countries. Will all survive the war? Who will end up with Tamara's heart?
I just read that this is planned to be the 1st installment of a trilogy, and I would love to continue following the story of these well-developed characters and their very interesting story.
I won a copy of this book from First Reads.
January 1, 2019
I unexpectedly really enjoyed reading this book. It is a novel set in the newly formed state of Israel, 1948 and traces its history of survival and growth till 1967.
This is the backdrop to the story of two brothers, totally different, whose fates brought them to same place, but through differing paths, one an honest, idealist , a Mossad agent, the other a successful entrepreneur, becoming one of Israel’s wealthiest tycoons, both men being a necessary cog in the wheel of a developing Jewish state.
I loved the characters , I loved the love stories, the human frailties and all the strength and resilience of a people brought out of the ashes of the Holocaust into yet another pot of smoldering, virulent hatred and a constant fight for survival.
This is an honest look at Israel, its challenges , strengths and weaknesses. As a lover of Israel , it is good to read about its problems and its warts, and so good to fall in love with it again and again.
This is the backdrop to the story of two brothers, totally different, whose fates brought them to same place, but through differing paths, one an honest, idealist , a Mossad agent, the other a successful entrepreneur, becoming one of Israel’s wealthiest tycoons, both men being a necessary cog in the wheel of a developing Jewish state.
I loved the characters , I loved the love stories, the human frailties and all the strength and resilience of a people brought out of the ashes of the Holocaust into yet another pot of smoldering, virulent hatred and a constant fight for survival.
This is an honest look at Israel, its challenges , strengths and weaknesses. As a lover of Israel , it is good to read about its problems and its warts, and so good to fall in love with it again and again.
November 13, 2018
A little bit of everything in this historical novel. Insight into how the Middle East turmoil continues.
Bravery, cunning, politics and romance all create conflicts within a family where all members are conflicted by happenings within their lives. A very good read. Fletcher 's writing holds the reader's interest throughout as well as allowing the reader to glimpse into the Middle East issues.
Bravery, cunning, politics and romance all create conflicts within a family where all members are conflicted by happenings within their lives. A very good read. Fletcher 's writing holds the reader's interest throughout as well as allowing the reader to glimpse into the Middle East issues.
July 11, 2018
An Israeli soap opera __ a good page-turner if you like sex, family sagas, and political history combined.
July 6, 2018
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This was more of a 3.5 star read for me. Last third was definitely 4 star. I was anxious to read this historical fiction by Martin Fletcher, who led NBC TV’s Tel Aviv News Bureau. I love family sagas and as Jew and daughter of Austrian immigrant forced to fled when his father was taken to the camps, this read was of interest to me. Unfortunately I found some of the character development lacking which made it challenging at times to have empathy for some of the key characters. There were also lapses in time that I felt compounded the lack of character development and empathy. I also had some trouble following the spy/war related bits. But, the book much improved for me by the last third and I definitely want to read the planned sequels. The book also inspired me to reacquaint myself with some of Israeli history. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy historical and Jewish fiction, as well as Mideast history.
August 11, 2018
An enthralling and moving story of the struggle to build and secure Israel in the aftermath of the Holocaust, as told through the eyes of the Nesher family. When we first meet the Berg brothers in Germany at the beginning of WWII, the elder son, Peter, is being sent off to America to escape the Nazi threat. His younger brother, Aren, and sisters are told they will be sent later, when the parents are able to save more money. The next time we encounter them, they are living in Israel. Aren, an Auschwitz survivor who changes his name to Arie Nesher, wants to make money in the growing country. Peter changes his name to Nesher as well and becomes a valued spy for the Mossad. As the country grows and faces eminent threat from the Arab countries around it, the Nesher family grows and also faces its own conflicts. An historical fiction made very personal for the reader.
Thank you to Goodreads FirstReads for an early look at this book.
Thank you to Goodreads FirstReads for an early look at this book.
December 13, 2018
Disappointed!
When I first saw this book advertised, I couldn't wait to read it. The blurb I read compared this book to Exodus by Leon Uris. But I'm afraid that Promised Land doesn't compare to Exodus in my opinion.
A major love story between an Egyptian girl who moves to Israel and meets two brothers. Although she marries one brother she is also attracted to her husband's older brother and this forms the background of this book. Add a few battles between the Israelis and Arabs and you have another thread to this book. Unfortunately I didn't find the characters all that likable and found the end of the book a convenient way to have a happily ever after moment to this book. I do suggest if you insist on reading this book, also read Exodus to see if any comparisons can be made.
When I first saw this book advertised, I couldn't wait to read it. The blurb I read compared this book to Exodus by Leon Uris. But I'm afraid that Promised Land doesn't compare to Exodus in my opinion.
A major love story between an Egyptian girl who moves to Israel and meets two brothers. Although she marries one brother she is also attracted to her husband's older brother and this forms the background of this book. Add a few battles between the Israelis and Arabs and you have another thread to this book. Unfortunately I didn't find the characters all that likable and found the end of the book a convenient way to have a happily ever after moment to this book. I do suggest if you insist on reading this book, also read Exodus to see if any comparisons can be made.
June 7, 2018
Promise land is a book full of action and intrigue. Following WWII a set of brothers who were separated during the war come together to help build the new Israel. This book changes from person to person each chapter so you can learn more about each character.
I loved learning a little about the true history of Israel as a new nation with a little fiction thrown in.
I have not read books from this author before but I enjoyed his writing style and this is a subject I love to learn about.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I loved learning a little about the true history of Israel as a new nation with a little fiction thrown in.
I have not read books from this author before but I enjoyed his writing style and this is a subject I love to learn about.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.
August 31, 2018
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book via the Goodreads Giveaways program and would like to thank everyone involved in making that happen!
Going into this book I really didn't know anything about the origins of the State of Israel and it's tumultuous struggle to survive. I actually found it a fascinating topic and really enjoyed learning about that history. At the heart of the novel is also a moving family history that was equally enthralling. I saw a comment from the author divulging that this is the first book in a trilogy and I can't wait to continue the story!
Going into this book I really didn't know anything about the origins of the State of Israel and it's tumultuous struggle to survive. I actually found it a fascinating topic and really enjoyed learning about that history. At the heart of the novel is also a moving family history that was equally enthralling. I saw a comment from the author divulging that this is the first book in a trilogy and I can't wait to continue the story!
October 30, 2018
Having been to Egypt, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, & a Kibbutz near Jordan, and having seen markers at the sites throughout the book, the history revealed through what the brothers from Germany and Tamara a Jew from Arab Cairo did and saw make the book come to life. Never-the-less, as a previous reviewer mentioned, the love story aspect was not convincing. I particularly hated that Tamara keep going to tell Arie that she loved Peter but never did! The end felt so unfinished but the book took a long time to read so perhaps there should have been two books???
August 12, 2018
This is a story about the beginning years of Israel told through the lives of a family. Some survived the concentration camps and some escaped prosecution from Egypt. It is also the story of two brothers in love with the same woman and the consequences of their actions. The story is also about the war in a967 between Israel and the surrounding Arab countries. It is a very moving and heart wrenching story depicting the strength of the Jews of Israel. I would highly recommend it.
August 15, 2018
Two Nazi persecution surviving brothers entangled in their love affair with the same woman; one brother's thriving businesses in building up the newly founded Jewish state of Israel; another brother's brave experiences with the fearful Israeli intelligence agency of Mossad; and the two Israel-Arab wars in the 1960's and 1970's are all masterfully weaved in a family saga in this historical novel of Promised Land intriguingly written by Middle East affair expert Martin Fletcher.
September 3, 2018
I won this book from Goodreads...and I didn't just READ it, I luxuriated in it! As Tom Brokaw said, "It picks up where Exodus left off"! It's a novel of Israel...but is so well researched that it reads as a history book...while chronicling the very involved and complicated family history of a single Jewish family! I learned so much, while simply enjoying the read. In my humble opinion, there is something in this book for everyone!
September 9, 2018
This is an amazing book. It follows the fortunes of two brothers who are torn apart by life events and how that changes them when they are rivals for the same woman. The backdrop of Israel just after independence is incredibly well-researched but the most remarkable writing is in the battle scenes. Here is a writer who knows this world and knows how to make it real for the reader. Once I started I couldn't put it down and I can't wait for the next one. It's as great book.
April 10, 2018
A wonderfully written family saga set in the fledgling nation of Israel from its War of independence, to the amazing victory of the Six Day War. No one knows the people, the history, the idiosyncrasies and the resolve of the Jewish State than this author who was NBC’s Middle East bureau chief for many years.
Set to be released in September 2018 I would add this one to your to-read list.
Set to be released in September 2018 I would add this one to your to-read list.
August 17, 2018
I liked that this book showed how surviving WWII affected people differently. I also learned a lot about Israel in the 1950s and 1960s. There is plenty of action to keep your interest and the characters are all interesting. The only thing I didn't like was how the end of the story left some things unresolved.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Yay!
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Yay!
August 30, 2018
This is one for fans of family sagas. Fletcher uses brothers Peter and Arie, and their love interest, Tamara, to tell the story of the early days of the state of Israel. The main characters are well fleshed out, there are some interesting cameos, and you'll learn something along the way. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. It's a fairly quick read because Fletcher knows how to tell a story.
August 12, 2018
I couldn't put it down after the first couple of chapters, but once it past a few rough spots a beautiful but haunting story unfolded about two brothers loving the same woman. Going to check some of his other books out after reading this one.
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