Review
"Israela... is a mesmerizing read that (introduces readers) into the complexities of life in Israel. An intriguing three-person narrative revolves around the central characters allowing the reader into each character's predicament, and to the emotion and conflict surging within. More importantly, Batya Casper's well-researched and thorough revelations about Israel portray the constant turmoil that its residents, both Arab and Jew, face on a daily basis. Beyond race and ethnicity, Israela is Israel's story-the story of humanity." --Mihir Shah
"This is the most evenhanded view of a polarizing conflict. It reveals the character, values, flaws, and heroism of ordinary citizens in their struggle to exist...where bad things happen to people who hope for peace and dignity. The complexities...and passion of the...characters are revealed in a ...suspenseful tapestry viewed through the eyes of women rather than politicians or warriors whose views more often get published." -- Gary G.
"Batya Casper's Israela is a unique work, spanning and compressing generations and world events into one very readable novel. Her approach is engaging, writing from the perspectives of three very different women--and of Israel herself. Casper's language is poetic, descriptive and evocative. She offers no answers, only informed dialogue. Her love for Israel and its peoples is apparent. So is her sadness at the hostility between nations destined to be linked. At its core, this is a book about family alienation and the transformative power of love." --Paula Van Gelder
"This is a gorgeously written, compelling story of family, loyalty, love and pain set against the baffling and tragic Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Casper's eloquence is addicting; her novel should be read by anyone who appreciates great literature and sensitive, insightful storytelling." -- Nan Hoffman
"Readers not previously acquainted with this apparently unsolvable conflict will gain an understanding of the mortal dangers faced by the Israeli population on a daily basis from terror attacks, while at the same time Casper has shown an evenhanded understanding of the Palestinian point of view." -- Frieda K.
From the Author
With Israela (unlike Hidden, my most recent publication,which is all about story-telling) I didn't set out to write a novel. My original intention was to trace the history of the modern state of Israel, its dreams, hopes, complex social fabric, mistakes and wars, so I could see how it had arrived, from 1948 and earlier, to its present situation. More than anything, I wanted to present what I have come to call, "the human face of Israel"---her people from the inside, living, loving, celebrating life against a permanent backdrop of violence.
As I wrote, fictional characters kept popping into my head together with twists and turns of plot. That surprised me immensely. Finally, I gave in to my inner voices and enjoyed myself. The finished version is the story I present to you here. I believe that it provides a much clearer portrait of the land and its people than any historical treatise I could have created.
Originally, Israela had a different title. I knew it was not what I wanted. I had all but finished the novel, when I woke one morning with the name "Israela" in my head. I knew immediately that was my title. What is more, the moment I had that name, I needed to sit and write in Israela's unique--and uniquely feminine---voice. I am convinced today that Israela wrote her own script.
I hope you, my readers, will gain a sense of Israel from the inside as a living entity with people of passion who, like you, experience doubt, fear, hope, anguish, despair, and betrayal; and who, just like you, want to usher in a peaceful world for their children.
In Israela, I present the terrorists, not as human being characters, but by means of the constant and ever-growing terror and explosives they ignite.
I want you, my readers, to sit on the balconies of moderate Arabs and hear the conversation; to sit in back yards of moderate Jews and hear the conversation; to go to the souk (outdoor market) and hear the dialogue--or worse, the often complete lack of dialogue, so that, by the time you reach the end of Israela you will no longer be dependent on the international media to tell you what to think, because you will be thinking and asking for yourselves.
About the Author
Director, actor, and teacher of theater, Dr. Casper has lived in Israel intermittently since childhood. She currently lives in California near her family.
