Customer Reviews

A House Divided

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As a writer of ten published novels, I get daily requests to read books by new authors. I cannot read a book a day, and self-published titles in particular often lack in quality, so I decline--most of the time. In the case of Noah Friedland, I was intrigued by his Israeli heritage and its place in this story. Going against form, I agreed to receive and read a copy of "A House Divided."

Friedland's writing is descriptive, yet fast-paced, revolving around the "accidental" death of a young soldier doing maneuvers with the IDF (Israel Defense Force). The soldier's older brother, Jonathan Geller, flies into Tel Aviv for the funeral after years of self-imposed exile in Seattle, where he serves as a professor at the University of Washington. He begins to suspect foul play as conflicting details emerge from his brother's death. Even as Geller's own secrets surface from a stint in the IDF, he once again faces his mom, stepfather, best friend, and old girlfriend. The Geller family is a house divided, and they serve as a microcosmic look at the political divisions in modern Israel.

The book turns into a full-fledged thriller as Geller uncovers conspiracy upon conspiracy, and finds himself the target of powerful men. Murder, sex, and intrigue are all on display as the action races from Tel Aviv to Haifa to the Jezreel Valley to Jerusalem and the Negev Desert. The author's knowledge of the area adds depth to a timely tale. Although themes of family, loyalty, violence, and peace are explored, they never slow down the story.

I broke my own rules by deciding to read this book, and this is the reason every rule has its exception. Yes, there are quite a few punctuation errors. And, yes, from a literary standpoint, the author tends to throw in a lot of exclamation points, as well as plenty of adverbs when the strength of his verbs would do. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every page of this book.

"A House Divided" is more than an exception. It's exceptional.

It is hard to believe that a first time author could write such and intelligent and complex thriller. Friedland gives an eye opening look into the diametrically opposed political forces of Israeli Society, and the very timely issues of peace in the area.
The story is a tour de force, in prose, of the Israeli landscape, architecture, and military infrastructure rolled into a fast paced and gripping and often brutal thriller. Could not put it down. Looking forward to his next book.

This book is a great read that kept me turning till the end. I had a really hard time putting it down and needed to see how it all came together. I loved it and would tell everyone out there to get a copy asap!

A House divided was a captivating page turner, and once I got into it I could not put it down. Not only was the book thoroughly enjoyable and exciting, but it had a real depth to it, with details about Israel and service in the IDF that seemed so authentic that they could have been plucked from the author's real life experiences. Highly recommended.

This is a great read, very thrilling and with plenty of unpredictable twists and turns. The characters are well developed and real. I could feel the main character's pain and confusion. Jonathan is a man driven by his past and his connection to his brother. He is a reluctant hero, an average man struggling to find the truth. He finds pieces of the truth. This book is a ride and I highly recommend it to all who love intrigue.

A great thriller about one of the hot spots in the world. I loved the twists and surprises.

This is a fantastic first novel and as good as any thriller you will read! You will not be sorry if you purchase it! I am hopeful that this will be made into a movie and eagerly await another novel from Dr. Friedland.

A House Divided is an unpredictable thriller. I thought I knew what was going to happen but then the story becomes very complex. Having lived in Israel it was fun to read the in depth descriptions of streets and places in the story. By the end of the book I felt that I really knew the characters and would almost recognize them walking down the street. I highly recommend this book.

"A House Divided" is an intense, exciting novel covering ten days in Israel during the summer of 1993, but also flashing back to the summer of `81.

Born in Seattle, Noah Friedland tells us that he grew to adulthood in that turbulent nation. After serving in the artillery corps of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) - a stint extended by the First Lebanon War - Noah earned two engineering degrees at Israel's rigorous Technion before returning to the US and obtaining his PhD. Friedland knows who and what he's writing about, and rewards his readers with colorful, information-packed descriptions reminiscent of James Michener.

I found that my atlas and occasional sorties with Google Earth enhanced my reading experience, letting me see the actual streets and desert locations where the novel's events transpire. "A House Divided" captures the mood of people and places, enriching the drama and generating an aura of authenticity. Even when place names receive aliases we are given enough clues to divine their real names. For example, it's possible to determine that the IDF's artillery training facility - the scene of exciting action - is at the real Negev desert town of "Shivta" rather than the imaginary "Haleva."

His descriptions of life in the streets, a kibbutz and in the army are particularly compelling; this reader felt he was living in the story - running for his life, attending a solemn ceremony and then suddenly a crew member in a huge self-propelled a M109 howitzer!

The central theme of the novel is obvious - outlining the disagreements between various sectors of Israeli society and how these complicated conflicts manifest themselves within families and communities throughout the nation and beyond. But it is mainly an absorbing detective yarn of passion, revenge and violent action - with the twists and surprises we'd expect from a Grisham tale, all rendered with the staccato rhythm of an Uzzi. I can't wait for the movie!