Israela

Israela, authored by Batya Casper, is an incredibly well-written historical war fiction novel with mind-blowing themes and an excellent storyline. It narrates the lives of three women in war-torn Israel, exploring the issues of identity, heritage, womanhood, war, loss, grief, and Israeli culture. Ratiba, Orit, and Elisheva are the protagonists and the narrators of the entire plotline. Through the story, we come across recollections of nostalgic tales by the three women about their past. Read more

On the surface, Casper's narrative is a hauntingly beautiful tale of war's toll on a land stained with the blood of its children and sown in division and hate. Probing deeper, however, the narrative explores the ferocity with which the main characters pursue peace and love, even in the face of unimaginable darkness. From heart-wrenching sacrifices to uncovering family secrets, the story takes the reader on a journey through a search for one's identity that is inextricably tied to Israel's valiant attempts at redemption despite the ceaseless bombardment and bloodshed on its soil. Read more

Israela, by Dr. Batya Casper, is timely, well-written and cannot be ignored.  This book is a masterful tapestry of the lives of three characters, their families, and a nation torn by age-old religious and civil strife. The narrative is always moving, filled with drama, covers the period from the birth of modern Israel (1948) to the present-day. Against a backdrop of war and suffering and human resiliency, the complex stories of the protagonists are woven. Ratiba and Orit are sisters by adoption—and Orit’s birth mother was a concentration camp victim of the Second World War. One of the many fascinations of this book is its magisterial blending of the recent history of the nation of Israel with its characters’ lives. Read more