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Mandrakes from the Holy Land
An early twentieth-century Englishwoman, Beatrice Campbell-Bennet travels to Palestine with an Arab companion to study and paint the mandrake flower, mentioned in the Old Testament, but she learns more about everyday life in the Holy Land during the Jewish immigration wave known as the "Second Aliyah."
197 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
About the author
Aharon Megged
32 books3 followersAharon Megged (Hebrew: אהרון מגד) (10 August 1920 – 23 March 2016) (Hebrew year 5680) was an Israeli author and playwright. In 2003, he was awarded the Israel Prize for literature.
Aharon Greenberg (later Megged) was born in 1920 in Włocławek, Poland. In 1926, he immigrated with his parents to Mandate Palestine. He grew up in Ra'anana, attending Herzliya high school in Tel Aviv. After graduation, he joined a Zionist pioneering youth movement, training at Kibbutz Giv'at Brenner. He was a member of Kibbutz Sdot Yam for twelve years.
Megged was married to author Ida Tsurit, with whom he had two children, Eyal Megged, also a writer, and Amos Megged, a lecturer in history at University of Haifa.
Megged was one of the founders of the Masa literary weekly, and served as its editor for fifteen years. He worked as a literary editor for theHebrew newspapers La-merhav and Davar. In 1977/78 he was author-in-residence at the Center for Hebrew Studies affiliated with Oxford University. He made several lecture tours of the United States, and was also author-in-residence at the University of Iowa. He published 35 books.
Megged's plays were performed at Habima, Ha-Ohel and other theaters. His books have been translated into numerous languages and published in the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, France, and other countries.
From 1968 to 1971, Megged served as cultural attaché to the Israeli embassy in London.
In 1974, Megged won the Bialik Prize for his books The Evyatar Notebooks: a novel and Of Trees and Stones.
In 2003, he was awarded the Israel Prize, for literature.
Megged won the Brenner Prize, the S.Y. Agnon Prize, and the Prime Minister's Prize.
(from Wikipedia)
Aharon Greenberg (later Megged) was born in 1920 in Włocławek, Poland. In 1926, he immigrated with his parents to Mandate Palestine. He grew up in Ra'anana, attending Herzliya high school in Tel Aviv. After graduation, he joined a Zionist pioneering youth movement, training at Kibbutz Giv'at Brenner. He was a member of Kibbutz Sdot Yam for twelve years.
Megged was married to author Ida Tsurit, with whom he had two children, Eyal Megged, also a writer, and Amos Megged, a lecturer in history at University of Haifa.
Megged was one of the founders of the Masa literary weekly, and served as its editor for fifteen years. He worked as a literary editor for theHebrew newspapers La-merhav and Davar. In 1977/78 he was author-in-residence at the Center for Hebrew Studies affiliated with Oxford University. He made several lecture tours of the United States, and was also author-in-residence at the University of Iowa. He published 35 books.
Megged's plays were performed at Habima, Ha-Ohel and other theaters. His books have been translated into numerous languages and published in the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, France, and other countries.
From 1968 to 1971, Megged served as cultural attaché to the Israeli embassy in London.
In 1974, Megged won the Bialik Prize for his books The Evyatar Notebooks: a novel and Of Trees and Stones.
In 2003, he was awarded the Israel Prize, for literature.
Megged won the Brenner Prize, the S.Y. Agnon Prize, and the Prime Minister's Prize.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 5, 2020
So....I couldn't really figure this book out.
Everything was a bit extreme - the way the main character is a collection of stereotypes that barely make sense, the Forrest Gump level of seeing everything and being everywhere, the way everyone lusts after her.
The language is gorgeous and as a history buff this book made me crave a time machine, which is why this book got two more stars than it deserves.
Another reason why I gave it two other stars is that you can totally read this book as a feminist work.
Everything was a bit extreme - the way the main character is a collection of stereotypes that barely make sense, the Forrest Gump level of seeing everything and being everywhere, the way everyone lusts after her.
The language is gorgeous and as a history buff this book made me crave a time machine, which is why this book got two more stars than it deserves.
Another reason why I gave it two other stars is that you can totally read this book as a feminist work.
January 24, 2012
I continue my armchair/hammock tour of Israel through time. In 1906 now as the heroine travels up the Galilee from small villages gathering plants, I travelled with her in the early days of the settling of Palestine by Jews. Epistolatory with notes by a pyschiatrist, evocations of religious thought. And, thankfully, not too long!
November 4, 2008
Parts of the book including the last chapter take place here at Meir Shfeyah where I have lived and worked for the past 19 years.
April 30, 2010
Huh? Wha? Allegory? Irony? This didn't work for me.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews