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Jump to navigationJump to searchChains of Sand by Jemma Wayne (view source)
Revision as of 11:18, 18 August 2020
, 11:18, 18 August 2020no edit summary
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''Chains of Sand '' is a great read about family, faith, survival, and love. It follows the story of two young men: Udi a veteran of the Israeli army who longs for a new future in London, and Daniel, a London banker unsatisfied with his life and yearning for something more. The story focuses on their desires to change their lives by moving to different worlds and how this impacts their relationships with friends and family. As the story unfolds, the two protagonists' histories are slowly uncovered and they both have to overcome the difficulties in their new lives in order to achieve their dreams. Meanwhile, the fate of star-crossed love between a Jewish girl and an Arabic man in Jerusalem a decade earlier intertwines with Daniel's life, complicating all that he thinks has become clear.
The novel wonderfully gives insight into modern day life in both London and Israel from the perspectives of citizens and immigrants. Chains of Sand centres on Israel: what it's like to live there for both communities, the allure of living there, as well as the attitudes towards the country in light of government actions. The day-to-day life in Israel portrayed in the book was very thought provoking and interesting. It was more brutal than I expected, particularly in the treatment of women, surprising me in how backwards the society was. Moreover, Jemma Wayne did a fantastic job developing both Udi and Daniel as characters and she was very good in displaying the impact of their decisions to move countries upon their family members. The consequences of the conflict between Israel and Palestine are especially detailed and the frightening war-zone atmosphere is very well conveyed. I've previously studied the conflict and I believe that it is a topic that should be highlighted and deserves more attention. I believe there should be a wide awareness of the conflict and the situation in the Middle East to have any hope of pressurising the two parties involved to find the best solution and lay down their weapons.
