In British-occupied Palestine after World War I, Mark Bloomberg, a beleaguered London painter, and Joyce, his American wife, witness the murder of ...
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reviews
Dec 02, 2008
Denis
rated it: 
I found this book by chance, and read it not sure what to expect. I was immediately charmed by the writer's voice, who manages to avoid the pitfalls of exoticism easily associated with such books to narrate an intimate story of love and politics that does portray the Middle-East at a specific time of its history in very convincing and multi-layered ways. Wilson's storyline is not really original, but his characters are complex enough to make you care about them and, more than that, to make you b
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Dec 28, 2011
Scilla
rated it:
The book takes place after WWI during the British occupation of Palestine. British artist Mark Bloomberg goes to Palestine with his American wife, Joyce, who is a Zionist in spite of not being a Jew. A prominent Jew is murdered in their yard; a young homosexual Arab, Saud, is being charged; and the police have a problem whether they arrest an Arab or a Jew. Joyce has an affair with a Jewish British policeman investigating the murder, and then disappears with an American movie maker. The gove
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Jan 29, 2008
Kay
rated it: 
Well, I reviewed this for The Small Press Review UK, so if you want to read my complete thoughts on the book, you'll have to order a copy of the magazine. If, like me, you're fairly ignorant about Palestine between the two world wars, this book cleverly unravels some of the bitter complexity we are still trying to understand and deal with today.
But on the wider note, I know that sex is supposed to sell things, including books, but I struggled with this narrative where two different More...
But on the wider note, I know that sex is supposed to sell things, including books, but I struggled with this narrative where two different More...
Oct 31, 2010
Merle
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This was an interesting book. The history of Palestine when run by the British is interesting. So is the affair!
Dec 16, 2009
Laura
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Wilson wrote a book that, except for the locale, could have been written about anyone, anytime. There was nothing special or redeeming about the characters, and the plot just... happened. Many reviewers say that this "spare" writing style is elegant and compelling... I say it's somewhat boring, and I was glad it was a short book. Maybe someone else would have a different impression, but this just wasn't my favorite book of the summer.
May 29, 2011
Joane
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Such a fascinatine part of history, and I was really interested in that. The story? - was OK. It was the setting that impressed me the most.
Feb 13, 2011
Karen
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I particularly enjoyed this book after having visited Israel earlier this winter. I thought the characters were interesting, and the description of Israel between World War I and World War II very fascinating.
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