Israela, authored by Batya Casper, is an incredibly well-written historical war fiction novel with mind-blowing themes and an excellent storyline. It narrates the lives of three women in war-torn Israel, exploring the issues of identity, heritage, womanhood, war, loss, grief, and Israeli culture.
Ratiba, Orit, and Elisheva are the protagonists and the narrators of the entire plotline. Through the story, we come across recollections of nostalgic tales by the three women about their past. These tales shape the personality of these characters. Orit recalls her childhood days, Ratiba misses her elder sister, and Elisheva recounts her struggles to fit into the Israeli culture when she first arrived in the country.
War and bombings become increasingly frequent in Jerusalem as the plotline advances, impacting every character’s life in the plot. Death and loss become the centre of narration as someone loses their lover while others lose their son to the ongoing war. In such a grim atmosphere, Orit starts having vivid dreams in which she has meaningful conversations with her dead mother, highlighting the author’s vision of tolerance and peace in a country that is raged by decades of conflict concerning discrimination between Arabs and Jews. Ratiba makes significant decisions that impact her entire journey and, ultimately, her marriage. Elisheva makes some crucial discoveries through one of her patients as the story progresses, which gives her some clarity and helps to fill in some of the gaps in her childhood memories. Each woman has a distinct narration, yet their stories weave together. The importance of family as well plays a significant role in the entire plot. By the end, amidst all chaos, these three women embrace each other and the religion of humanity.
Seeing such resilient and hopeful women running the storyline is rousing. Even with the tragic details of war and the migration of several families, this book doesn’t overwhelm a reader. The timeline of events is perfectly measured, and the readers are provided an ample opportunity to process the development of events. The author maintains a quick pace throughout the book.
The plotline has been remarkably acquired, and the visual representation of the plot is suitable and adequate. The character development in the book is cleverly executed. It is an informative historical war fiction that touches on the Jerusalem war which has not been much talked about and has been ongoing for decades. This title would make a perfect read for those who want to learn more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
