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A Pigeon and a Boy

by Meir Shalev, Evan Fallenberg (Translator)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 955 ratings · 183 reviews

From the internationally acclaimed Israeli writer Meir Shalev comes a mesmerizing novel of two love stories, separated by half a century but connected by one enchanting act of devotion.

During the 1948 War of Independence--a time when pigeons are still used to deliver battlefield messages--a gifted young pigeon handler is mortally wounded. In the moments before his death, h...more

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published October 16th 2007 by Schocken (first published 2006)

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Aug 14, 2012 Tamara Silver rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is about home. About how your home houses more that your body, but also your soul. Some of us live in the wrong home all of our lives and some of us are lucky to find the perfect fit. It is also about undying, deep, aching, love. And pigeons, yes, you will learn about carrier (homing - get it?!) pigeons. It has moments of beauty and jewels of phrases. Here is one of my favorites: The ground, which here is not corseted with cement and straitjacketed with asphalt, shifts in a slow, never...more

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Jun 03, 2007 Khaya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hebrew, historicalfiction, israel

Forgive me for showing off a little -- I'm actually reading this in the original Hebrew. I know it was entirely unnecessary for me to point that out, but I'm excited about my new quest to improve my Hebrew literacy. Also, I wanted to let you know in advance that it will take me a long time to post my review!

Ok -- here's my review. Reading this book was an interesting experience, on a variety of levels. When you read in a foreign language and you find yourself criticizing the book, it's not alway...more Forgive me for showing off a little -- I'm actually reading this in the original Hebrew. I know it was entirely unnecessary for me to point that out, but I'm excited about my new quest to improve my Hebrew literacy. Also, I wanted to let you know in advance that it will take me a long time to post my review!

Ok -- here's my review. Reading this book was an interesting experience, on a variety of levels. When you read in a foreign language and you find yourself criticizing the book, it's not always clear whether it's a flaw in the book or whether there's something you're missing because of the language barrier. For example, it took me a long time to get into this book -- was that because it was a slow starter, or because it was written in Hebrew? Some of the characterization seemed superficial to me, and there were some minor holes in the plot -- again, was I just missing things because I skipped over some hard words/passages? I guess the only way to find out would be for me to read it in English, which I'm actually curious to do when it comes out (I think the translation is due to be published later this year).

Basically, as I experienced it, the book had clear strengths and weaknesses. The love story from the War of Independence was definitely poignant and gripping, even in a foreign language. The motif of the doves was interesting and original, although I felt that some of the symbolism was a little heavy-handed. The "message" sent with the final dove was just plain weird -- bizarre, in my view, although definitely a creative plot twist. I felt that Yair's relationships with his brother and with his ex-wife could have been better developed, and that both of them should have been better fleshed out as characters -- I found them overly unsympathetic, and I think they could have been depicted in a more complex, multi-faceted way. It wasn't clear to me why Yair and Tirzah broke up the first time they dated. Etc., etc. Anyway, that's why I plan to at least skim it in English when it comes out so I can see how much of the above was simply a function of my limited Hebrew.

I have to say (and I apologize in advance; I know this is probably too much information), this is the second full-length novel I've read in Hebrew and it feels so weird to read sex scenes in Hebrew! First of all, while you can sort of skim them in English if you prefer, you don't have that option when you're reading in a foreign language -- you end up processing every word, which makes reading the scene a very different experience. Also, it's lashon kodesh! I found myself gasping, "What!" whereas in English, I'm basically immune. Thirdly, at least based on the limited sample of two Israeli novels, Israeli novelists are quite earthy and graphic when it comes to these things. By comparison, American sex scenes seem almost metaphysical. Sorry -- I just had to share that.(less)

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Dec 25, 2007 Roger rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this book in a Contemporary Jewish Literature class, and was lucky enough to go hear Shalev speak while in the middle of reading the novel. He was a very funny, interesting guy, and this is a very entertaining, interesting book. I really enjoyed reading it and zoomed right through it. The somewhat low 3-star rating I gave it is for the feeling I got after finishing the book -- that is, a feeling if disconnection. The book is made up of two narratives, both of which are beautifully written...more

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Dec 14, 2008 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book became more compelling as it appeared that the two separate threads would come together. It was not hard to see where the book was going. Some parts of it are rather surreal. And some parts are rather unbelievable. But it was well-told despite some errors in translation and some in proofreading.

I got to like some of the characters a great deal, especially Meshulam who provided a comic touch in his way. Although birds, Israel, and the 1948 war are featured, one does not need to have any...more

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May 14, 2007 Michal rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love love love Meir Shalev. I can't think of a book of his that I didn't like (I hear Fontanela is not as good, but haven't read it), and this one is no exception.
All his books show a deep love and connection with Israel, and I mean the good old idealistic Israel, not the Big Bowl of Crazy it has become. He knows how to write people, and his women especially are very well written.
Like all his books, this one takes a few pages before it draws you in, but once it does it is a very interesting...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Henk-Jan van der Klis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: duivenmelker, roman, novel, liefde, leven

In deze nieuwe roman weeft de Israëlische schrijver Meir Shalev vernuftig een aantal verhalen in elkaar. Van Jaïr Mendelson, een toeristengids die vogelaars rondleidt, zijn vrouw Liora, oude geliefde Tirtsa Fried, maar vooral dat van zijn ouders. Het leven van duivenmelkers loopt als rode draad door het boek. Wat postduiven en mensen bindt, het weer terugwillen naar huis, 'Dag huis' zeggen brengt Shalev schitterend bij elkaar. De in de onafhankelijkheidsoorlog van 1948 gestorven duivenmelker 'de...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Michal Yitzhary rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Pigeon and a Boy is a heartwarming story of love, loss, and what it means to feel like you have a home. Yair, the main character tells the story of his search for a place of his own to his mom who passed away before she was able to see her son fulfill the dream she had for him. Wanting him to find a home, she gives him the money to buy a house that will be all his own and make him feel like he has a home, not just a house. He marries an American women named Liora who has a lot of money and liv...more A Pigeon and a Boy is a heartwarming story of love, loss, and what it means to feel like you have a home. Yair, the main character tells the story of his search for a place of his own to his mom who passed away before she was able to see her son fulfill the dream she had for him. Wanting him to find a home, she gives him the money to buy a house that will be all his own and make him feel like he has a home, not just a house. He marries an American women named Liora who has a lot of money and lives with her in a big house in Tel Aviv which does not feel like for a second like a home to him. In fact, he feels like the house is his enemy and only allows Liora to enter without sounding the alarm. One day he finds the perfect house, fitting his mom's description of what the house should be like: Carob trees in the yard, weeds growing out of cracks in the sidewalk.. Although the house is old and close to falling apart, he enters, says hello to the house and feels an automatic connection to the place. He makes this into his new home with the help of his childhood love Tirzah “Tirahleh” and her father who is very good friends with his father. Tirzah and Yair grew up together, and when they reunite at a later stage in life they realize they are still in love, wondering why they wasted years being apart when they should have been spending that time being together.
Simultaneously, Yair also tells us a story of a young soldier nicknamed “The Baby” who finds love at a young age too: for a girl and homing pigeons. He learns and is trained to care for the pigeons as a boy, which is how he meets the girl he loves. He uses one last pigeon to send a final message to her as he lays dying during the Independence War, knowing that a homing pigeon will always find its way home to where it belongs, which in this case is also the way to The Baby’s love.
By the middle of each story, the characters become so vivid and their story so interesting, that it is disappointing when the chapter ends and switches to another story, and yet exciting when a new chapter begins and you get to hear more about the alternate story.
Home is supposed to be a place of love, a place where one will always be able to go back to to feel comfort and peace of mind no matter what happens in life.
I started reading this book in English keeping in mind that it is translated and so not the exact original words that the author meant to use, but as I turned the pages I ended up forgetting that the story originated in Hebrew and just enjoyed the book for the real and meaningful stories it contains. I loved going back to it, and couldn’t wait to continue reading. Meir Shalev turns ordinary situations in life into humorous and at times heartbreaking storytelling.
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Dec 30, 2012 Ayelet Bender rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Pigeon and a Boy, is a Middle Eastern influenced novel which contrasts two time periods (past and present) incidentally creating a Parallel Universe. Meir Shalev uses strong symbolism in order to create an echo of a recurring concept in your mind throughout your reading of the book. His choice of symbolism, being a Pigeon, serves much historically as well as metaphorically. Although Shalev depicts many themes in this book, I would like to concentrate this review on Shalev's use of the Pigeon a...more A Pigeon and a Boy, is a Middle Eastern influenced novel which contrasts two time periods (past and present) incidentally creating a Parallel Universe. Meir Shalev uses strong symbolism in order to create an echo of a recurring concept in your mind throughout your reading of the book. His choice of symbolism, being a Pigeon, serves much historically as well as metaphorically. Although Shalev depicts many themes in this book, I would like to concentrate this review on Shalev's use of the Pigeon as a [somewhat silent] Protagonist.

The Pigeon (translates to Hebrew as "Yona", as does the Dove), is found in the Bible, as an important figure in Noah's Ark. Upon the corruption and complete washout of the world, Noah sends out a "Yona" to test if earth (or home) is ready to be lived on. Eventually, the pigeon comes back with a sign of life on earth; evidence of plantation. In this case, the Pigeon serves as a messenger, a sign of continuance of earth, life, and a reminder of the necessity of love in a nation, as well as at home. In contrast, the Pigeon is also a symbol of love and marital bliss.

The novel is situated in Israel, and discusses of its history and its tough journey to Independence. This is the section of the book that occurs in the past tense. "The Baby", having been robbed of any parental presence in his life, was brought up on a Kibbutz by his aunt and uncle. The Baby meets a Pigeon handler and seems to be magnetically attracted to the idea, and soon becomes one himself. The Pigeon being a symbol for marital bliss, seems to fill the void his parents left, due to the fact that it is something he had not really been exposed to in his tragically prematurely ended life. Pigeons seem to have replaced his parents presence in his life, creating a fake, ghost-like roof of marital bliss. When the Baby meets the Girl, they correspond via Pigeons, the Pigeons carrying the weight left by his parents. The Baby dies in the War of Independence in 1948. Love puts the brain into survival mode, causing us to reproduce in order to assure the continuance of our lineage. Shalev links the history of the Pigeon in Noah's Ark, to The Baby's last message, delivered by a Pigeon, to his lover (the Girl), however heartbreakingly differs from Noah's story, as he is not given the privilege to continue.

In parallel to the Baby's story, Yair was brought up in a home in which his mother suffered from lack of comfort, always longing to return to her home in Tel Aviv (Israel). It seems that Yair subconsciously ends up mirroring his mother's unhappiness, through his unhappy marriage to Liora. Yair's mother never obtained her own definition of home, as well as Yair; Liora is an American oriented girl, who robs Yair of his right to have the comfort of his home, to his own standards. This is an ironic juxtapose, seeing as Yair is a tour guide that specializes in bird watching. As mentioned earlier, the Pigeon is a symbol of marital bliss, which are the cause of Yair's sufferings. When he suffers the death of his Mother, he seems to finally be able to absorb the information portrayed through birds that he constantly preaches to others and put it to action. The Pigeon and his mother's death together seem to highlight this awareness to him, and us the reader, and clarify his route to a happier life in rebuilding his "home". The mother supplies Yair with the tools he needs to make his life right.

The Baby's story brings upon us a sad feeling, and yet the sadness is healed by the happy outcome to Yair's story. Meir Shalev's technique of writing is like that of a Math teacher. He presents us with a mathematical equation, and teaches us the formula, going step by step, helping us to derive the information without it being fully presented to us. With the echo of the Pigeons, we are able to extract different feelings and obtain more to his writing than just words, rather emotional remorse for the tragedy and true happiness for Yair; who seems to veil happiness upon the Baby's tragic ending. I truly felt that the Baby had vicariously lived and fulfilled his life through that of Yair. As well as a satisfying end to an emotionally climaxed book. A truly great read.

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Nov 17, 2012 Ozrielos rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "A pigeon and a boy" is narrated by the tour-guide Yair, sometime in the present day. Early in his narration he recalls an incident that occured some half-century before, in the run-up to the War of Independence; a wounded pigeon landing on the balcony of a young girl on an afternoon when her secret admirer has come to visit. This moment marked the starting point of several parallel stories, which have since spiralled away in different directions in both time and space. To read "A pigeon and a b...more "A pigeon and a boy" is narrated by the tour-guide Yair, sometime in the present day. Early in his narration he recalls an incident that occured some half-century before, in the run-up to the War of Independence; a wounded pigeon landing on the balcony of a young girl on an afternoon when her secret admirer has come to visit. This moment marked the starting point of several parallel stories, which have since spiralled away in different directions in both time and space. To read "A pigeon and a boy" is to watch these stories deplode back through time as the author draws the scattered threads together into a single story, unified by the blue and grey motif of a pigeon, which flutters through the lives of the various characters and their interconnected experiences. I would argue that the author, Meir Shalev, is a little heavyhanded and plodding in his reiteration of this motif. But there can be no argument that in his treatment of plot, and his ability to bring unity to the now far-flung elements of that war-time love affair, Shalev shows impressive skill and organisation.

I read A Pigeon and a Boy in tandem with two other novels, “Lighthousekeeping” by Jeanette Winterson, and "The Shipping News" by Annie Proulx. An apparently similar mindset behind all three novels brought to mind a paragraph from the seminal work “The Social Construction of Reality” by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckman: “a differentiation may arise between foot soldiers and cavalry. The latter will have to have special training, which will probably involve more than learning the purely physical skills necessary to handle military horses. The language of the cavalry will become quite different from that of the infantry...role-specific language is internalized in to by the individual as he is trained for mounted combat. He becomes a cavalryman not only by acquiring the requisite skills but by becoming capable of understanding and using this language.... ' I am a horseman', 'A horseman never lets the enemy see the tail of his mount', 'Never let a woman forget the feel of the spurs', 'A fast rider in war, a fast rider in gambling', and so forth. As the need arises, this body of meanings will be sustained by legitimations, ranging from simple maxims like the foregoing to elaborate mythological constructions. Finally, there may be a variety of representative ceremonies and physical objects - say, the annual celebration of the feast of the horse-god at which all meals are taken on horseback and the newly initiated horsemen receive the horse-tail fetishes they will henceforth carry around their necks.”

Like “Lighthousekeeping” and “The shipping news”, “A pigeon and a boy” seems like part of a fad (all three novels were written within a few years of eachother) for exploring this side of human nature to the full. “Lighthousekeeping” and “the Shipping news” explore how the life of those living at the edge of the sea incorporate a mystique and vocabulary of the sea and shore, a mystique that deepens into myth and general weltanschauung. “A pigeon and a boy” does something similar for pigeon handlers (one memorable chapter notes a list of Dos and Donts for the pigeon handler, a list of commandments, which, it is further noted, do well for any individual in any walk of life). This is all very interesting in a way, and casts an revealing light on the way our environments and occupations shape our worldviews, all of which end up sounding rather similar (evidence, perhaps, of some sort of unity to the universe; if one can see the universe in a grain of sand, eternity in a flower, then it doesnt matter very much which flower or grain of sand one spends one's time focusing on). However, at the same time, in all three novels one can't help but feel a sort of grand overstatement at work. (Although, that said, “Lighthousekeeping” is a far greater culprit in this than “A pigeon and a boy”.)

I think this is the case for the following reason: However much our environment and the tools of our trade influence our worldview, they do so in a covert way; in every day life, they remain merely “part of the furniture”. Even when popping up in the world of metaphor, they are often almost "dead metaphors", devoid of freshness. A horseman who says “never let a woman forget the taste of the spurs” has probably heard the phrase enough times in conversation for it to have no particular saltiness in his mouth. The significance of all this to the world of writing was I think best captured by Jorge Luis Borges, who claimed, not entirely correctly, that there were no camels in the Koran: “I believe if there were any doubt as to the authenticity of the Koran, this absence of camels would be sufficient to prove it is an Arabian work. It was written by Mohammed, and Mohammed, as an Arab, had no reason to know that camels were especially Arabian; for him they were part of reality, he had no reason to emphasize them; on the other hand, the first thing a falsifier, a tourist, an Arab nationalist would do is have a surfeit of camels, caravans of camels, on every page; but Mohammed, as an Arab, was unconcerned: he knew he could be an Arab without camels.”

The final word on all this, I believe, should go to Wolfgang Iser, who wrote that “it is only through inevitable ommisions that a story gains its dynamism.” The genuine account of a pigeon handler's love affair, in Borges' view, would probably contain very little explicit mention of pigeons. Then again, “A pigeon and a Boy” is not a genuine account. It is a novel that seeks to discuss the themes of home and homecoming through an exploration of that most home-loving of all beasts, the pigeon. And one can certainly see the merits, in theory, to such a work. But in treading too heavily in his exploration of this theme, in discussing the subject ad nauseum and not allowing it to develop for itself in his readers' minds, Meir Shalev has done them a rather boring disservice. That said, it was a far better book, in this respect, than “Lighthousekeeping”, which I would urge everyone NOT to read. (less)

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Feb 11, 2012 CarolineFromConcord rated it 4 of 5 stars

My sister suggested this book to me and I liked it. But it's a good example of why I never recommend a book until I have finished the last page. I didn't like or understand the ending, although I appreciated that the author tied up the loose threads of all the characters in true Dickensian fashion.

The book is about the meaning of home to homing pigeons, people, and Israel. It is full of fascinating details about the use of homing pigeons, especially in the war against the British that led to the...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Marlee Pinsker rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Feb 05, 2009 Bookmarks Magazine added it

Meir Shalev is one of Israel's most celebrated novelists. Although less well known in the United States, the critically acclaimed A Pigeon and a Boy, which won Israel's prestigious Brenner Prize, should introduce Shalev to a much wider audience. Intertwining two love stories with Israel's fight for independence, the novel offers a compelling portrait of Israel's period before statehood to the present day. With homing pigeons as a recurring motif, Shalev explores themes of home, memory, and survi

...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Talia Carner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jewish-fiction

A masterpiece of two woven stories, the love story between two pigeon handlers in the period prior to Israel's War of Independence framed and intersected by that of a tour guide specializing in bird watching who learns the details of the tale from one of his guests.

In this unlikely subject, the reader is treated to learning the habits and handling of homing pigeons that served as reliable means of communication during the British Mandate of the land of Israel until 1948.

It is hard to do this s...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Barbara A rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am most grateful to our dear friend Eric, whom we met, in Israel, in 1990, for sharing this beautiful book with me. I was unfamiliar with Meir Shalev, although this particular novel was the winner of the National Jewish Book Award and he is a highly prolific Israeli writer. His work is much loved, and is translated, as far as I can see on Amazon, into German, French, and, quite obviously, English. War; responsibility; a yearning for home; and a longing for the love that turns a house into a ho...more

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May 10, 2010 Melissa Standley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-literature

This is a beautiful novel--I really can't emphasize enough how gorgeous it is. I bought it for my birthday the year before I left South Carolina.

A Pigeon and a Boy gives readers a look at regular life in Israel during its War of Independence and at regular life in Israel now. The novel starts in the present-day and then flashes back to before the main character, Yair, was born. It tells the story of how his parents met and the miracle of his birth.

Then the story flashes forward again to the pr...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Marleen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jun 10, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa by: C21st Fiction

Shelves: 21st-century, israel, translation, kindle

A Pigeon and a Boy is a love story really, but not like any you’ve read before. It takes place during the Israeli War of Independence in 1948 and the present. There are links between the two but it would ruin the book for readers to explain what they are. Suffice to say that Yair Mendelsohn, the central character, makes a life-changing decision to make a home of his own and in the quest to find his own identity makes some interesting discoveries about himself and his family. Yair, whose father w...more

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Feb 06, 2011 D'Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good portrayal of the relationships in adult life. Fresh metaphors of a marriage in trouble. Interesting description of modern day life in the holy lands. The book is based on an improbable occurrence on which the entire plot hinges. I could not take the event seriously so the plot had a comedic feel after that for a while. I felt like the ending saved the book. The way the main character makes sense of his life feels right.

The book would have been better if condensed. I got lost in the needless...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Candice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the description, this sounded like a lovely book, but it was a big disappointment for me. It took a long time for the story to get started and there were very few characters that I would call likeable. In fact, the main character, Yair, was extremely un-likeable. There were also some parts of the story that defied belief. I did like the parts about caring for the homing pigeons. Thought there was far, far too much detail about house renovations. I did like the way the two threads tied toget...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Ellie Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Ellie by: Sisterhood Book Club choice

Shelves: adult-fiction, jewish-topics

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the story will stay with me for a long time. Usually, the books I love are ones I can't put down, but A Pigeon and a Boy was different. It took a few weeks to read, because of its substance and the complexity of two stories. Also, it was easy to put the book down in the middle because some future events were made known in advance. It's interesting that the book was still suspenseful even with prior knowledge of major events. I found the emphasis on names and p...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Flora rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-take-me-to-other-countri

This is a book that grows on you -- it's more of a 3.5, 3.6. It starts out so unhappily, with the miserable, not quite lovable and hilariously momma-attached Yair, and the knowledge that the pigeon boy will die. There are also a few streams of language early on that seem overwrought, but this smooths out as the book moves along. I actually felt relief when the pigeon boy died again because then I didn't have to sit around waiting for it to happen again.

Many of the side characters are adorable: t...more

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May 04, 2013 Beverly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Two love stories intertwined bringing the past and the present together. During the 1948 war for Independance in Israel, a young pigeon handler is mortally wounded. He is able to dispatch his last pigeon with a gift for his childhood sweetheart. In the present Yair Mendlesohn is a tour guide specializing in bird watching tours. With a gift from his dying mother, Yair reconnects with his childhood sweetheart as they build his home together. What is home? Shalev talks to the reader and to his dead...more

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Sep 17, 2010 Pamela rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a haunting tale that related the role that homing pigeons have played in the past. The narration shifts from Yair, a man nearing middle age who is stagnant in his marriage, telling about his own life in the current age to the story of Baby and the girl he loves (both young, dedicated pigeon trainers)during the war for independence in 1948. There are little treasures in this story that are humorous (i.e., when Goldie explains that women must be beautiful, but men must look only a little...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Het boek begint met het opvliegen van een duif en met de dood van ‘de baby’ tijdens de Israëlische Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog. Wie de baby was en waarom die duif daar boven dat oorlogsterrein opvloog, wordt gaandeweg het boek duidelijk.

En weer een boek waarin een huis soort van hoofdpersoon is. Het huis is van Ja’ier Mendelson. Omdat het huis waarin hij met zijn rijke vrouw woont niet zijn huis is, gaat op aanraden van zijn moeder op zoek naar een eigen plek. Een huis waarnaar je graag terugkeert...more Het boek begint met het opvliegen van een duif en met de dood van ‘de baby’ tijdens de Israëlische Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog. Wie de baby was en waarom die duif daar boven dat oorlogsterrein opvloog, wordt gaandeweg het boek duidelijk.

En weer een boek waarin een huis soort van hoofdpersoon is. Het huis is van Ja’ier Mendelson. Omdat het huis waarin hij met zijn rijke vrouw woont niet zijn huis is, gaat op aanraden van zijn moeder op zoek naar een eigen plek. Een huis waarnaar je graag terugkeert net zoals postduiven (homing pigeons) dat nodig hebben. En hij vindt precies het huis zoals zijn moeder hem dat heeft gezegd:
“klein en oud, knap het een beetje op…en denk eraan: een huis in een oud dorp of stadje. Er moeten al bomen naast staan. Liefst cipressen, maar ook een oude johannesbroodboom is goed, en er moet onkruid groeien uit de barsten in de stoep. Ze legde uit: in een oude plaats is alle wraak al genomen, zijn de oude vijandschappen al aan elkaar gewend en zijn de echt grote liefdes, niet de kleine lastige, al geluwd. Dan hoef je niet meer te gissen en je hoofd te stoten aan experimenten.”

Er zijn 2 verhaallijnen. Het ene verhaal speelt in de jaren veertig en gaat over twee verliefde jonge duivenmelkers die postduiven trainen voor gebruik door de Palmach tijdens de Israëlische Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog. Voor de training moeten de duiven regelmatig gelost worden zodat ze leren naar hun huis te vliegen. Ze proberen daarbij zoveel mogelijk elkaars duiven te lossen en kleine liefdes briefjes via colombogrammen mee te geven met de duif. (view spoiler)
Deze tragische liefdesgeschiedenis is op een ingenieuze manier verbonden met het andere verhaal wat zich zo’n vijftig jaar later afspeelt. Dit is het verhaal van de toeristengids Ja ‘ier, getrouwd met de rijke Amerikaanse Liora.

Aanvankelijk vraag je je af wat het verband is tussen de verhalen, dan is het boek intrigerend Stukje bij beetje worden tipjes van de sluier opgelicht. Het duurde me alleen allemaal wat te lang er worden héél veel, in mijn ogen overbodige, details aangehaald over het huis, over de duiven, de familie, de landschappen. Ook vond ik het hier en daar wat te melodramatisch worden. Bijvoorbeeld het hele verhaal rond de laatste boodschap die de baby meegeeft aan de duif!
Kortom wel aardig maar voor mij niet een echte topper. (less)

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Feb 11, 2012 AticoLibros rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: atico

«Shalev es un narrador magistral que ha escrito una historia delicada y que sabe abrazar a sus personajes con cariñoso sentido del humor.»
Suddeutsche Zeitung

«Una historia sobre la búsqueda del amor perdido.»
The New York Times

«Shalev demuestra que las almas también pueden curarse y revivir.»
Miami Herald

«Una inteligente sinfonía sobre la patria, el hogar y la identidad.»
Frankfurter Allgemeine

«Brillante… universal en su alcance y en la revisión del anhelo humano de crear un hogar.»
The Jerusalem Pos...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Hermien rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hebrew

Beautifully told story, I loved it.
During the 1948 War of Independence--a time when pigeons are still used to deliver battlefield messages--a gifted young pigeon handler is mortally wounded. In the moments before his death, he dispatches one last pigeon. The bird is carrying his extraordinary gift to the girl he has loved since adolescence. Intertwined with this story is the contemporary tale of Yair Mendelsohn, who has his own legacy from the 1948 war. Yair is a tour guide specializing in bird...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Lorri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: personally-own, inspiration, historical-fiction, israel-fiction, novels, jewish-fiction, jewish-history

I just finished reading the incredible novel, A Pigeon and a Boy, by Meir Shalev. I purchased this book last week, and put it on the top of my tall stack of books to read. After reading the jacket, I decided it was a book I wanted to read, and must read, immediately. The book didn’t disappoint me in the least, in fact I was quite surprised, emotionally overwhelmed and amazed at the content and how it affected me.

I am still wrapped in the emotional aftermath from reading this incredible story of...more
I just finished reading the incredible novel, A Pigeon and a Boy, by Meir Shalev. I purchased this book last week, and put it on the top of my tall stack of books to read. After reading the jacket, I decided it was a book I wanted to read, and must read, immediately. The book didn’t disappoint me in the least, in fact I was quite surprised, emotionally overwhelmed and amazed at the content and how it affected me.

I am still wrapped in the emotional aftermath from reading this incredible story of love and its power, enduring from the years before Israel’s independence, and through the decades to follow. I am reminded of the fragility of life. This novel details so brilliantly what once was, what could have been, what is, and what the present and future can hold.

The story line focuses on a destiny of sorts. During the 1948 War of Independence homing pigeons were often used to deliver messages to the war front. During one battle scene a pigeon handler dispatches one final pigeon, before his death, carrying one amazing message to the girl who awaits it on the receiving end, the girl he has loved since childhood.

The novel is rich in characters, characters with depth, and rich in vivid details that one can not only visualize, but our senses can also inhale, touch, taste and feel. We see the emotional waves and veins of life course through the years. Another character is Yair Mendelsohn, who is a tour guide, who specializes in bird-watching trips in modern day Israel. He seems lost in time’s continuum, stuck in another realm. His dying mother leaves him an inheritance, with which she would like him to build a house, a home, leaving him a few specifics on what she would like him to include in the landscape and structure.

Love from the past illuminates the pages of love in the present, co-joining the story line with breathtaking scenarios.

The novel is a metaphor for several things, including time and place, war, love and loss, family and what defines “home”. Is home an illumination or place in the heart, is it a physical place, is it genetic memory surfacing, is it a place we can return to, renovate, build, or is it all of those, some of, or none of those things? These are questions we are left to ponder after reading this exellent novel, written with insight and sensitivity to life and to nature, and a universal and extraordinary story, a novel that Meier Shalev has written so beautifully and masterfully, a novel on the wings of love, that touches the core of one’s soul, one’s heart.

The heart-wrenching novel will stay with me for a long time.

(less)

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Feb 08, 2012 Judy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone who loves beautiful prose

Recommended to Judy by: Naomi Jensen

Shelves: great-gift-idea, jewish-theme, my-2012-books

This is an absolutely beautiful story from beginning to end. The prose is gorgeous and captivating, allowing the reader to thoroughly feel the setting and the emotions. The story takes place in two time periods, present day Israel and pre-1948 war Palestine. It isn't clear from the start how the two stories will come together, but I never found it confusing or difficult that two stories were being told. When it does all come together, it is in a very satisfying way. The more modern story involve...more

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Oct 19, 2008 Kimmay rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Finally I finished this book. It seemed like it took me forever. I found myself constantly putting this book down and after only a chapter or two. It was very slow to begin with and towards the end when it did pick up a bit, I found myself asking the same question as another reviewer had said here" What was the point?" The two stories were supposed to be intertwined and were but I found the part with the syringe and the spoon a bit...unbelievable. I didn't care for the ending either, it left me...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

A voluptuous rending of a story. In the backdrop of Israel, Meir Shalev spins a highly sensual yarn of loves: loves old and loves new; loves lost and loves found. The loves between friends, mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, men and women and most importantly, the loves of one's home and place of belonging, these are all explored along with loves that will be never be. Hidden between the pages of this book are impossible secrets that could only be dreamed up in the heart and mind of a gift...more

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About Meir Shalev

Meir Shalev is one of Israel’s most celebrated novelists. He has received many awards for his work, including the National Jewish Book Award and Israel’s Brenner Prize, both for A Pigeon and a Boy.

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Books by Meir Shalev

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Quotes from A Pigeon and a Boy

“Mine is the tongue tied silence of awkwardness, hers the smiling silence of anticipation, and then we utter inanities to each other, like "beautiful weather arranged for us" and "I like these kind of clouds.” — 1 person liked it

“A woman has to look good, but a man—a little bit nicer looking than a monkey is enough.” — 1 person liked it

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