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JEAN SASSON’S talent for delving into the deepest corners of
the human
condition has produced a
stunning novel, and reviewers agree.
REVIEWS of JEAN
SASSON’S ESTER’S CHILD
***BOOKLIST STARRED
REVIEW***
* SASSON, JEAN.
Ester’s Child. September 2001. 448 Pages General
Fiction
“The destinies of three
disparate families are bound together through time and across
continents by the tragic disappearance of two children. After
a sadistic Gestapo officer seizes the beloved baby daughter of
Joseph and Ester Gale, the devastated young couple vows to
survive the Holocaust to discover the fate of little Miryam.
Settling in Israel after the war, the Gales face further
heartbreak when their infant son is kidnapped. Seething with
resentment against the Jewish interlopers who forced his
family from its native Palestine in 1948, the generally
scholarly and gentle George Antoun commits a horrific crime in
order to offer some solace to his barren and bereft wife.
Attempting to make amends for her father’s past as an SS
officer, a young German nurse volunteers to work in a refugee
camp in Lebanon. When the paths of Christine Kleist and
Demetrius Antoun intersect with those of Michel and Jordan
Gale, the four surviving members of the next generation
painfully unravel the mysteries of the past. Penned with
compassion and set amid the war-torn backdrop of Europe and
the unfolding military and political drama of the postwar
Middle East, this absolutely riveting cross-cultural saga will
have readers eagerly turning the pages in order to reach a
suitable stunning conclusion.”
(Reviewed by Margaret Flanagan for BOOKLIST YA Rich
historical fiction for teen genre fans. SZ)
***LIBRARY JOURNAL
STARRED REVIEW***
“Sasson weaves a
remarkable tale of three families in the Jewish Gales, the
Palestinian Antouns, and the German gentile Kleists whose
lives intertwine in mysterious ways for more than half a
century. Interned in the Warsaw Ghetto, Joseph Gale briefly
meets Friedrich Kleist, an SS officer who decries the horrors
he witnesses. After the war, Joseph and his wife, Ester,
among the few members of their extensive families to have
survived the Holocaust, settle in Israel. Jump forward in
time, and Demetrius Antoun is a Palestinian doctor who hates
the Israelis for murdering his friends and family. Michel
Gale, son of Joseph and Ester, is an Israeli officer who hates
the Arabs for trying to deny him a Jewish homeland. His
sister, Jordan, and Christine Kleist, a German nurse seeking
to make amends for her father’s Nazi past by working in a
Lebanese refugee camp, are caught in the middle. In light of
the recent attack on the World Trade Center, Sasson’s story is
keenly relevant, as it exposes the downward spiral of
irrational hatred and the bitter seeds sown in its path. A
timely addition to all collections, especially where Brock and
Bodie Thoene’s Zion Legacy series is popular.”
(Library Journal,
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, inc.)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Adult/High School. “A
sprawling novel of historical intrigue that spans the years
from 1938 to 1983 in Europe and the Middle East. The families
of Moses Stein, a devout Jew from Poland; of Benjamin Gale, a
secular, assimilated Jew from France; Freidrich Kleist, a
German SS officer; and George Antoun, a Palestinian refugee in
Lebanon become entwined through an amazing set of
circumstances. Readers are introduced to the families in
1948. In Jerusalem a second son is born to Ester, daughter of
Moses Stein, and Joseph Gale. The child is kidnapped. In
Haifa, George and Mary Antoun, Palestinian refugees, learn
that their family has been killed in an Israeli attack, and in
East Berlin, Freidrich Kleist is haunted by a dream of his
involvement in the death of Jews in Warsaw. The prologue
gives readers tantalizing clues to the identity of Ester’s
child and clarifies the history of the four families and the
ways in which World War II and the establishment of the State
of Israel have affected them. How the fate of the families
binds them in lasting relationships is described in an
exciting narrative of suspense, intrigue, and romance. Each
chapter is preceded by a clarifying historical account of the
events, a helping listing of the many individuals included in
the story, and attractive black and white illustrations.
Teens will find the plot involving and feel compassion for the
characters, most of whom are unwilling and tragic victims of
political extremes and human understanding. The story ends on
a note of hope and renewal.”
(Jackie Gropman, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA Copyright 2001
School Library
Journal Cahners
Business Information.)
THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
“Stylistically spare,
Esters Child is a natural extension of Jean Sasson’s
research on Princess and Princess Sultana’s Daughters, and
like them, provides a service to humanity. What it lacks in
texture, it makes up for in plot. With three family sagas
intertwined and multiple points of view, Sasson has set a
challenge for herself.
The reader is intrigued
with Ester and Joseph. She is a rich Polish aristocrat; he is
a Parisian playboy who loves her in spite of her conservative
ways, and by the way, both are Jewish. Their families
reluctantly agree to their engagement, but instead of
lingering with them in Paris, Sasson fast-forwards a year to
perilous times in Warsaw. We fear for the young couple, yet
we don’t know them well enough to feel deeply. But when
Sasson piles on the coal and ups the danger, the mind reels
and she’s got us involved. Then she parks that group of
characters, outlines the historical background of the
Israel/Palestine conflict, and homes in on one family forced
to leave Haifa.
The plight of the
homesick Palestinians involves us even more. There is real
value in the historical summaries, for anyone who ever wanted
to know how Israel came into existence and why the
Palestinians wish it hadn’t.
Fate is cruel to these
characters. As in a Greek tragedy, there is a lot of wailing
and gnashing of teeth, not many lighter moments. The novel
needs to vary its pitch for greater impact.”
(Reviewed by Marcia K.
Matthews for The Historical Novels Review: Issue 18,
Dec. ‘01)
BLUE JEAN ONLINE BOOK
REVIEW
“Ester’s Child,
by Jean Sasson, is the 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.”
(Reviewed by Eva Seligman
for blue jean online)
THE BETH EL BOOK REVIEW
“Jean Sasson’s latest
work, Ester’s Child, is one that will create awareness
and understanding among people of diverse faiths and
cultures. The way this story unfolds and comes to its
astounding conclusion is informative and touching.
Although Ester’s
Child is fiction, the author shows factual knowledge of
the history of the German, Jewish, Israeli and Arab cultures.
I recommend this book to people of all persuasions. The story
details show that the author has paid attention to historical
detail and also to the cultural aspects of human nature. The
story is well conceived, written and executed and the ending
will not disappoint the reader.
The timeliness of this
work is uncanny. Ms. Sasson offers her readers background for
the tragedy of September 11th and the hope for
change. While it will not lessen the national determination
for justice, it will provide better understanding of why the
tragedy continues and why peace has not been reached. I hope
many Americans read Ester’s Child. It is truly
well written—filled with wonderful characters—and it provokes
thought and concern for people of all cultures.”
(Reviewed by Sandra
Parsons for Beth El)
AWS--AUTHOR! AUTHOR!
INTERVIEW
The strength and spirit
of this adventurous humanitarian and writer of fact and
fiction comes through as she talked about her experiences, her
inspiration and her writings. Jean Sasson, the exemplary
American author, who penned the Princess Trilogy and now
presents Ester’s Child, believes that books need to
move people. “Why write a book if you don’t want to make a
difference,” She said as she sipped her soup at a recent
lunchtime interview in Coral Gables.
Sasson, whose books
have sold over 8 million, has stirred controversy by
addressing issues that people may not want to hear. In the
Princess Trilogy, she exposed the true story of life
behind the veil for women in Saudi Arabia. Her words speak to
abuse toward women of all cultures and ages and have become a
force to unite women against oppression anywhere. “Wherever I
go, I care about people. When I see injustice, I have to jump
in,” she said.
Sasson, who has
traveled to 55 countries in her adult life, immerses herself
in the cultures, the people and the problems. Her
understanding of the complexities of the problems in the
Middle East stem from those kinds of experiences. She
believes that peace is attainable, but that the barriers to
peace must be addressed.
“There is no
justification for the actions of fanatics on either side.
Most people want peace and stability in their lives, and I
believe that peace can be achieved by looking at the needs of
each of the countries in the region and helping them,” she
said. “It will be a long uphill road, filled with grief and
sadness, but it will happen.”
Through her books,
Sasson chooses to be a positive force in the process of
peace. “Peace can come through understanding,” she said.
Ester’s Child addresses the realities of hatred, violence
and war and the possibilities of love, honor and peace.
According to Sasson, the book is written around the theme of
misplaced identity, telling the story of a Jewish baby born to
loving Jewish parents yet raised by loving Arab parents to
believe he is an Arab. “It is a haunting concept.”
Historically accurate,
this fictional epic, set amid the war-torn backdrop of Europe
and the postwar Middle East through 1983, follows the lives of
three families, one Jewish, one Arabic and one German.
Through circumstances relived and secrets revealed, their
lives intertwine with explosive and prophetic results. It is
a roller coaster ride of tragedy, hope and renewal.
“I want my readers to
come away from the book wonderfully satisfied, like the
feeling you get after a full meal. Although it isn’t a
history lesson, it is a lesson in humanity. I want my readers
to learn new things they didn’t know, to see both sides of the
issues, and to understand,” she said.
For Sasson, who writes
from the heart, the realization that she may make a difference
drives her to continue. “My writer’s wish is that the readers
of Ester’s Child, especially readers committed to
prejudice against culture or religion, might put aside their
prejudice and ‘try on another life for size.’ And if by
chance, the reading of this book creates a new understanding
in only one person’s mind, that would be a wonderful legacy
for Ester’s Child.”
(Interview conducted and
written by Peggy Austen by Aging with Style.)
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