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David Grossman is the author of two previous groundbreaking works of journalism, THE YELLOW WIND and SLEEPING ON A WIRE. He has written seven novels, as well as several children's books; and a play. His most recent novel is SOMEONE TO RUN WITH. He lives in Jerusalem.
These sensitively written essays may be read as a diary of the last ten years of Israeli-Palestinian relations, charting as they do the hopes and disappointments of liberal Israelis since the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords. Taken as a whole, the collected articles and open letters reveal the major shifts in political relations between Israel and Palestine. Grossman discusses the characters, politics and actions of the dramatis personae, including Arafat, Rabin, Netanyahu and Sharon. The author cares deeply about the outcome of this bitter struggle, because he has committed his life, and his children's, to the dangerously troubled land he writes about. Grossman speaks out against the injuries perpetrated by Israeli troops against Palestinian civilians, as well as denouncing the suicide bombings which indiscriminately slaughter Israelis and passing tourists. For him, Jewish and Israeli identity are neither simple nor fixed. Grossman struggles with the complexities of his situation, and tries to create links with those Palestinians who are willing to explore the possibility of cooperation between two closely associated but separate states. He maintains an optimistic vision of a thriving and peaceful Middle East, but is realistic enough to acknowledge that he is unlikely to live to see it. Not all the essays are about Palestine-Israel. There is a tenderly observed account of the Pope's visit to Jerusalem, and a trenchant commentary on Jewish-German relations since the Holocaust. This is a book which deserves to be read with care by anyone wishing to make informed distinctions between Jew, Israeli and Zionist, or by the general reader who appreciates well-crafted essays. (Kirkus UK)
