Yesterday, I was having a hard time deciding what book to read next. So, Meghan came to assist me and chose The Attack as my next book. And boy howdy (that’s right) did she choose correctly. It was so good that I finished it yesterday in lieu of doing some work work and some school work. Rather than describing what the book is about in my own words, I’m going to give you what the back of the book says:
“Dr. Amin Jaafari is an Arab-Israeli surgeon at a hospital in Tel Aviv. As an admired and respected member of his community, he has carved a space for himself and his wife, Sihem, at the crossroads of two troubled societies. Jaafari’s world is abruptly shattered when Sihem is killed in a suicide bombing”.
“As evidence mounts that Sihem could have been responsible for the catastrophic bombing, Jaafari begins a tortured search for answers. Faced with the ultimate betrayal, he must find a way to reconcile his cherished memories of his wife with the growing realization that she may have had another life, one that was entirely removed from the comfortable, modern existence they shared”.
Needless to say, this was a very heavy book. Not quite as bad as Kite Runner but definately moving and so very very good. The following are some of the qood quotes from the book that really get you thinking:
1. “And each of us knows for certain that the rising sun of this day, like all those that have gone before it will be incapable of bringing sufficient light into the hearts of men”.
2. “That’s how men live: when they’re at their worst, they do their best, and when they’re at their best, it doesn’t mean very much”.
3. “There’s nothing, absolutely nothing, more important than your life. And your life isn’t more important than other peoples lives”.
Also of note, this book was translated from the French and is one of the best translations I have ever read. So many times, foreign books that are translated lose some of their meaning and I find myelf struggling to grasp what the author is trying to say. However, this translator did such a great job that I forgot that what I was reading hadn’t originally been written in English. That’s the sign of a well translated book. So, John Cullen, here’s a shout-out to your fantastic work!
