Ester's Child

by Jean Sasson

Book Overview

The novel, Ester's Child, opens on January 7, 1948. The momentous declaration of the new State of Israel is only four months away and Muslim and Jewish forces are fighting fiercely over an ancient... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967673739
• ISBN13: 9780967673738
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Windsor-Brooke Books
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Sasson Never Lets the Reader off with Easy Answers

...This is a compelling story of three families, Palestinian, Jewish, and German, whose lives are intertwined during the events leading up to and following the foundation of the state of Israel. The book begins with a sweet love story between Ester Stein, the daughter of strictly religious Polish Jews, and Joseph Gale, the son of non-practicing French Jews. It is a sprawling history, spanning cultures, generations and several countries. Before the book is over Sasson has led us through Israel/Palestine, France, Poland, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United States.I was impressed with Sasson's ability to tell a compassionate and often joyful tale without hedging around the very difficult issues surrounding the creation of the Israeli state. She never shies away from the devastating terrors and tragedy of war, nor does she forget the humanity and suffering of fighters on both sides of any conflict. The story raises many challenging questions, and Sasson never lets the reader off with easy answers.There is no obvious right or wrong, only human beings locked in a painful and complicated struggle. Sasson's vast knowledge of Arab and Jewish history is impressive. As we are drawn into the lives of Palestinian refugees, Jewish holocaust survivors, and the families of German Nazis, she gives insight into the roots of a struggle that is still escalating. Ester's Child is an engaging read, a book that can open your mind and your heart. ...

All you need is love

Esters Child Jean Sasson in this book has surpassed in excellence all her previous books; so if the Sultana Trilogy was an International best seller, this book should be a MEGA best seller.I, as an Arab sided with the Jews in their plight throughout the book And wept for the Palestinians. Jean Sasson was able to turn our feelings the way she did for one simple reason , she is a humanitarian , a wonderful person that looks beyond hatred and pores her true feelings and emotions deepinto the stream of humanity. Her ability to do this was coupled with an excellent ability to interweave fiction with true history . I wish more Americans, Arabs and Jews thought the way Ms. Sasson thinks. We would have less venom, hatred and wars in this world that is practically going into pieces at this very moment.The book is so real , that you live with the characters ( Arabs and Jews )as if they were made of flesh and blood. During my University years in the American university in Beirut during the 70's, I had many friends and classmates that lives in areas close to Shatilla camp. Some had connections with Palestinian Resistance Groups, as a result of which I know Shatilla very well. The book took me back 20 years to those narrow streets , reviving a memory I never thought would be revived . The description lacked one thing only , the odors of the place, only because it was written on paper. I give the book a million stars , and not just 5 . M. N. Al-Askari

Another Bestseller from Jean Sasson

I did not know what to expect when I started reading Ester's Child. It didn't take too long to realize that I was reading a great book. The families of different cultures depicted in this story were thrown into a whirlpool of hatred and wars but underneath the heartaches and hatred were layers of love and tenderness. It is amazing how the author intertwined the lives of these multi-cultural families. I was totally mesmerized by the stunning ending of this story! This book should be read by Christians, Jews and Arabs and possibly learn from it. Jean may have the solution to the age-old divide between the Jews and the Arabs. This book is headed to the bestsellers' lists! I take my hat off to Jean Sasson, a great storyteller.

Inspiring

I have read this book - in fact I did not put it down.I was not disappointed when I reached the end - the emotions this book managed to touch within me showed not only that the author had paid attention to historical detail but also to the detail of human nature and the depth of Joy and Sorrow that a living being can experience.

Beats Leon Uris hands down

Ester's Child, while being a fictional account of three disparate families becoming incredibly intertwined, is the best historical account I have ever read of the ascent of the nation of Israel and it's precarious and violent interaction with the arab refugees of Palestine. Jean Sasson offers the most unbiased look at people on both sides of the conflict and provides the reader with a much greater understanding of why things are the way they are. She does not take sides, but tells it like it is. Her historical research is precise and impeccable.The main characters, while fictional, are representational in every way of the Palestinian and Israeli people - their emotions, their dreams, and their desire to make their homeland and situation better. They obviously don't all agree on how to make that happen. Ms Sasson's writing style actually makes them come alive.With current events in the Middle East being what they are, most people's opinions of who is more righteous are formed by incomplete pictures being drawn by the western media. This book will give a reader a much more balanced picture in order to draw their own conclusions. I highly recommend this book to be read by high school and university students as well as anyone else interested in increasing their knowledge of this part of the world.