The Book of Israela

by Rena Blumenthal

Jerusalem, 2002: the height of the second intifada . Kobi Benami is a middle-aged psychologist whose life is in shambles. His wife has thrown him out for his casual philandering; his daughter refuses to speak to him; and the new clinic director has placed him on probation for his indifferent work habits.

At this desperate juncture, Kobi gets a new patient, Israela, whose story is full of uncanny biblical references, and whose powerful and enigmatic husband, Y, may or may not exist. Israela hasn’t seen Y in months, but she is being stalked by his prophet-like emissaries who span a wide spectrum of Israeli society—Orthodox to secular, right-wing settlers to left-wing urban elites—united only in their harsh condemnation of Israela, fierce devotion to Y, and connection to The Outstretched Arm, a sinister organization purported to be run by Y.

As Kobi becomes ensnared in a surreal encounter with the anthropomorphized story of ancient Israel, and increasingly preoccupied with questions about the nature and existence of Y, he is forced to confront his own dysfunctional life patterns, his family’s tragic past, and the endless war that rages around him.

260 pages, Paperback

Published October 4, 2018

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Few lives run smoothly. For some people, the crisis that occurs is so severe it undermines their sense of self. Take, for example, the two men featured in the novels “The Other Hand” by Andrew Kane (Berwick Court Publishing Company) and “The Book of Israela” by Rena Blumenthal (Resource Publications). Each of their lives is thrown in turmoil, although for different reasons. These very dissimilar men – a prominent American Orthodox rabbi and a secular, philandering Israeli psychologist – do have one thing in common: the current course of their lives is threatened, leaving them forced to analyze their past and determine a new path for the future.
See the rest of my review at http://www.thereportergroup.org/Artic...

[Katya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally even if I do not like a book I try to find the positive side of a book, the story , the plot , or the characters. unfortunately I couldn’t find anything positive on this book, the stories along the characters are inconclusive. I kept reading thinking it was going to bring a twist or exiting end of the story but not it didn’t .

[Dina Jansenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

I’ve never posted a review on Amazon, but feel compelled to say this: I love this book. It’s thought provoking and moving. It’s filled with compassion and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Shira sternberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived in Israel for 6 years from 2014-2020. I miss I terribly. This book brought me right back and also gave me an eye into what it was like to live in Jerusalem during the 2nd intifada.

So glad I found this book, made my month!