The Hiding Room

by Jonathan Wilson

A combination political thriller and love story, the World War II saga of a Jewish refugee and a British army intelligence officer is a story of love and betrayal uncovered by a grown son in present-day Jerusalem

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Jonathan Wilson is a British-born writer and professor who lives in Newton, Massachusetts.

Jonathan Wilson is the author of seven books: the novels The Hiding Room and A Palestine Affair, a finalist for the 2004 National Jewish Book Award, two collections of short stories Schoom and An Ambulance is on the Way: Stories of Men in Trouble, two critical works on the fiction of Saul Bellow and most recently a biography, Marc Chagall, runner-up for the 2007 National Jewish Book Award. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and Best American Short Stories, among other publications, and he has received a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is Fletcher Professor of Rhetoric and Debate, Professor of English and Director of the Center for the Humanities at Tufts University.

Wilson also writes a column on soccer for the Internet Newspaper, The Faster Times.

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminiscent of both Graham Green's Catholic novels and his thrillers, The Hiding Room begins in 1991 with a middle-aged Englishman arranging to take his mother's body to Jerusalem for burial. In Jerusalem, he fulfills her request. After his mother's burial, he remains in the city long enough for an awkward encounter with a prostitute, which moves him to wonder about the father he never knew, and of whom his mother spoke almost nothing. The second chapter jumps back to 1941 and Cairo where we meet a young British officer named Rawlins who is interviewing a Jewish refugee name Esta Weiss, a woman desperate for someone to believe her. Author Wilson meticulously weaves the story of Esta's and Rawlins's relationship in 1941 with the son's efforts in 1991 to uncover clues to his father's identity. Disturbing history, passionate characters and a brilliant narrative design combine for a compelling and satisfying read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite writers

[Tawni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated this book and after finishing still don't really understand what it was about or what even happened in it. Also a couple of graphic areas that I didn't appreciate...