the premise: a group of 20-something girls decide it would be fun to mail their favorite books to each other in an attempt to be well-read...it's like being pen-pals, only passing on a letter that was written by somebody else...
First of all, Pam, thank you SO MUCH for contributing this book to our mix.
Until I read Blood Brothers I didn't realize how much I didn't know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how much of what I did know favored the Jewish side of the conflict and villainized the Palestinians. As I read about how Elias and his family were terrorized and abused and derided I just kept thinking, "I had no idea! Why did I never learn about this in high school? College? Church?"
To my chagrin I thought back to Taylor and Dan Kakish's plea for the Palestinian side to be heard and understood, and I remember how little I knew of the affairs in the Middle East, and consequently how little I cared.
I don't want to exaggerate my reaction to this book and my newly gained knowledge, but at the same time it's true to say that this book not only made me more aware of the history and situation in the Middle East, but piqued in me an interest to learn more about it--all sides of it. I look forward to reading more books about it and understanding more of the dynamics when I hear reports on the news.
This book is so good and so needed that I recommended it to my boss and I'll be writing up a review to include in the newsletter that we send out to missionaries and pastors.
Suz, I am so glad that you enjoyed the book and that it has piqued your interest in the affairs of the Middle East!! It is such an 'easy' read, and yet it holds such a compelling story. I think that one of the most powerful things about this story is its ability to touch people on both sides of the equation.
As you probably remember, I spent my high school years in Jordan, a country in which approximately half of the population is Palestinian. Needless to say, it is the life and traumas of the Palestinian situation with which I am familiar and for which my heart aches. But, if a Palestinian man, who lived through horific situations, can have compassion for Israelis, so can I.
It is so good to remember Christ's love and compassion for everyone.
If you or anyone else should want some more info, another easy read is Friedman's "From Beruit to Jerusalem." Also, jordantimes.com still has some good editorials that I read from time to time.
"I always wanted a happy ending... Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity." - Gilda Radner
3 comments:
First of all, Pam, thank you SO MUCH for contributing this book to our mix.
Until I read Blood Brothers I didn't realize how much I didn't know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how much of what I did know favored the Jewish side of the conflict and villainized the Palestinians. As I read about how Elias and his family were terrorized and abused and derided I just kept thinking, "I had no idea! Why did I never learn about this in high school? College? Church?"
To my chagrin I thought back to Taylor and Dan Kakish's plea for the Palestinian side to be heard and understood, and I remember how little I knew of the affairs in the Middle East, and consequently how little I cared.
I don't want to exaggerate my reaction to this book and my newly gained knowledge, but at the same time it's true to say that this book not only made me more aware of the history and situation in the Middle East, but piqued in me an interest to learn more about it--all sides of it. I look forward to reading more books about it and understanding more of the dynamics when I hear reports on the news.
This book is so good and so needed that I recommended it to my boss and I'll be writing up a review to include in the newsletter that we send out to missionaries and pastors.
My Blood Brothers haiku:
Biram boy's calling
"Blessed are the peacemakers"
starts in one small town
Suz,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the book and that it has piqued your interest in the affairs of the Middle East!! It is such an 'easy' read, and yet it holds such a compelling story. I think that one of the most powerful things about this story is its ability to touch people on both sides of the equation.
As you probably remember, I spent my high school years in Jordan, a country in which approximately half of the population is Palestinian. Needless to say, it is the life and traumas of the Palestinian situation with which I am familiar and for which my heart aches. But, if a Palestinian man, who lived through horific situations, can have compassion for Israelis, so can I.
It is so good to remember Christ's love and compassion for everyone.
If you or anyone else should want some more info, another easy read is Friedman's "From Beruit to Jerusalem." Also, jordantimes.com still has some good editorials that I read from time to time.
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