The book of Abraham

Among my more recent read authors, I have found a really good storyteller in Marek Halter. I read his book about his ancestors The book of Abraham, recently and even though it was a thick book (+900 pages), it kept me captivated until the end. It is a story told through the men in his family living over the centuries in Europe and Northern Africa. The story begins with the writer Abraham who, with his two sons, escapes the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE by the Romans after his wife is killed. They end up settling down in Alexandria, Egypt where his sons grow up and starts families of their own. To remember what they have been through and to record the family history as refugees in a faraway country, Abraham starts writing a family history on a scroll of parchment, something that will continue to follow the family over the centuries until the end of World War II when the author is grown.
Combining fact with fiction, Halter paints a remarkable story that shows you the destiny of the Jewish people in Europe and northern Africa over the centuries. Halter combines the saga with writings of his own, which tells us about the adventures he made trying to retrace the path of his family over the centuries.
This is a well-written book, which capture your mind. He intertwines historical events and persons in his story but without overshadowing the true purpose of the book, telling the life of his family.

With the lasting impression he left on me with his first book, I am thrilled to start his new trilogy, called Canaan trilogy, about the women of the bible. The first one is a free adaptation of the Bible story about Sarah the wife of Abraham. The two books to complete the trilogy are called Lilah and Zipporah, two books I have yet to purchase as I am waiting for them to be translated into Swedish.
This topic has led me in to the discussion about using historical novels in history classes and how it affects what people learn and think about history, but this I will discuss in my next post. Until then, please feel free to give your own comments on the topic or anything else that interest you.
Josefine

My recommendation: The book of Abraham. Marek Halter