The Lie, Hesh Kestin, Scribner, 2014, 229 pp
Once again a reading group steered me to a book I'd never heard about and am glad I read. The Lie is set in Israel and though it is standard fare as thrillers go, the author (a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces) gives readers a provocative look at today's issues.
Dahlia Barr, a tough attorney based in Jerusalem and known for defending Palestinians accused of terrorism, accepts recruitment into the Israeli security establishment. She believes she can change the system from within and do away with torture.
Then her 21 year old son, a soldier, is kidnapped by Hezbollah and the political becomes personal for Dahlia.
I have read David Grossman's To The End Of The Land and Amos Oz's A Tale of Love and Darkness, not to mention a great amount of historical fiction about war. It is the mothers who suffer most, at least from my point of view.
In this novel I found a mother who was in a position to do much more than wait at home in fear and grief but that very position put her straight into the most difficult conflict of her life. What a gripping story.
(The Lie is available by order from Once Upon A Time Bookstore.)
Wow, sounds gripping, Judy.
ReplyDeleteYes it was! So up to the moment too.
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