Customer Reviews

Ester's Child

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Esters Child
Jean Sasson in this book has surpassed in excellence all her previous books; so if the Sultana Trilogy was an International best seller, this book should be a MEGA best seller.
I, as an Arab sided with the Jews in their plight throughout the book
And wept for the Palestinians.
Jean Sasson was able to turn our feelings the way she did for one simple reason , she is a humanitarian , a wonderful person that looks beyond hatred and pores her true feelings and emotions deep

into the stream of humanity. Her ability to do this was coupled with an excellent ability to interweave fiction with true history . I wish more Americans, Arabs and Jews thought the way Ms. Sasson thinks. We would have less venom, hatred and wars in this world that is practically going into pieces at this very moment.
The book is so real , that you live with the characters ( Arabs and Jews )as if they were made of flesh and blood. During my University years in the American university in Beirut during the 70's, I had many friends and classmates that lives in areas close to Shatilla camp. Some had connections with Palestinian Resistance Groups, as a result of which I know Shatilla very well. The book took me back 20 years to those narrow streets , reviving a memory I never thought would be revived . The description lacked one thing only , the odors of the place, only because it was written on paper.
I give the book a million stars , and not just 5 .

M. N. Al-Askari

I know that Jean Sasson writes books that makes people think. I read all of her previous books after a friend forced me to read PRINCESS, which is one of my all time favorite reads.

Importantly, Ms. Sasson is on the cutting edge of so many issues that are now affecting all Americans. Her PRINCESS books were one of the first that told the plight of women in restrictive Muslim cultures. Now everyone in the media is repeating what Ms. Sasson said years ago about women who are forced to veil and unable to enjoy the simple pleasures of making one's own decisions.

Now with her latest book, ESTER'S CHILD, this writer gives the reader a look into the world of Arab/Jewish hatred that has been building for a hundred years. Sadly, the pot is now boiling over, hurting so many innocent people, including Americans who are guilty of nothing but going off to work in a effort to support their young families.

I was pleasantly surprised at how Ms. Sasson handled the telling of this very compelling story. Anytime in the past I have read a book about the Arab/Jewish conflict, the writer took one side or another. If a writer in sympathy with the Arabs took pen in hand, every Jew ended being thoroughly unlikable. On the flip side, if a writer wrote in sympathy with the Jewish side of this issue, they made every Arab a throat cutting fanatic. That sort of writing does nothing but hurt the cause of peace.

Now, Ms. Sasson takes the side of humanity, weaving a beautiful story featuring a Jewish family and an Arab family. I learned so many details of the daily lives of both groups--I learned that the world is not good or bad, but somewhere inbetween, and that most people in that region are simply trying to make the best of a terrible situation.

I get the feeling that Ms. Sasson is trying to tell us what we all should know--that most people are good--that few people are evil--and that we must keep fanatics from determining our ideas.

Admittedly, the book ended too soon for me. Now I want to know what happens to the characters and I only hope that Ms. Sasson sees fit to write a sequel to this very compelling book.

I recommend this book to every American--you will learn so much in the most enjoyable manner. The world needs more writers that do not use their writing ability to make us hate--Ms. Sasson makes us see both sides of an issue and I admire her for this.

Jean Sasson's debut historical novel, Ester's Child, is truly "a searing drama you'll never forget". Her three years of research paid off. It is a must read for all and is quite timely as conflict continues to brew in the Holy Land.

Sasson bought a new understanding to an ancient and complex situation. By using a German, an Arab and a Jewish family she cleverly presented three sides. Her characters are multi-dimensional and very convincing. I found myself wanting to meet them. They are all greatly missed. They continue to be with me as I read the newspaper about the conflict. Her novel put faces on all of the people we see in the news and read about in the newspaper.

Sasson wrote with sensitivity and compassion. It is clear that she has an obvious love for the people in her novel.

With a college degree in history I seek out historical fiction. Ester's Child is a new all time favorite read. I believed it was impossible for her to surpass the Princess trilogy, but she did (and I still strongly recommend them, also).

With great anticipation I look forward to Sasson's next novel!

I did not know what to expect when I started reading Ester's Child. It didn't take too long to realize that I was reading a great book. The families of different cultures depicted in this story were thrown into a whirlpool of hatred and wars but underneath the heartaches and hatred were layers of love and tenderness. It is amazing how the author intertwined the lives of these multi-cultural families. I was totally mesmerized by the stunning ending of this story! This book should be read by Christians, Jews and Arabs and possibly learn from it. Jean may have the solution to the age-old divide between the Jews and the Arabs. This book is headed to the bestsellers' lists! I take my hat off to Jean Sasson, a great storyteller.

I LOVED this book!! I finished it in about a day and a half and let me tell you with two kids and a husband hanging around it wasn't easy!!

I was literally groaning when I realized that Jordan and Demetrius might be related. And then when we knew they weren't but Demetrius didn't know I was flipping those pages till I knew he was found!! I loved how all the families came together at the end...it was quite a tale!! Also with the
state of war we are in it was interesting to see how people have coped with all the bombing/shells/soldiers etc...with all that adversity and still these families went on and forged ahead and made new lives for themselves. I will probably have to reread it as I'm sure there are some things I missed the first time around. Of course I have to ask...is her next book going
to be a follow up of these families? I can't believe we won't know what happens when Jordan/Demetrius get married and especially Christine and Michel, and how they all inter-relate to one another. Also what happens with Friedrich and Eva? Do they go back and mend their relationship or is he mortified by how she acted at the Gale's home?

Argh...so many questions, I can only hope it is not the last that I read of these families!!

...This is a 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. ...

Once you get past about 10 pages, you'll be HOOKED and this is a promise.

ESTER'S CHILD portrays the reality of LIFE in war. Sasson focuses on the MIDDLE EAST, and in particular Lebanon and Israel. As a once-upon-a-time aid worker in the Middle East, I was astonished at how vividly Sasson described the reality of life for people living in refugee camps. I would have believed her a refugee if I didn't know better.

The way she weaved her story with the three families took my breath away. This is just a page-turner and there is no other way to describe this book. If you have an interest in the ongoing drama of Israel and Palestine, and you like stories with HEART, then this is a good choice for you...

I'm a little baffled by a comment made from the Hong Kong reader who was disturbed by the good looks of some of the characters. Hong Kong thought every character was a looker. Actually, the book is filled with many characters who are ordinary and even plain. Joseph Gale's sister is plain. The little baker is plain. The parents of Demetrius and his friend Walid are plain. I think "Honk Kong" a bit unfair in this observation because it is clearly not true. However, the main characters, Demetrius, Jordan, Christine, and Michel as well as the Jewish parents, Joseph and Ester Gale, are very attractive. Two very attractive people generally have good-looking kids. If you take a count of good looks vs plain looks, it is about 50/50, which is about the same as normal life...

Don't let the good looks of the main characters distress you! The book is outstanding and clearly worth a look. You'll be hooked!

The picture on the cover of Ester's Child is prophetic of what is to come in the story, although it isn't clear what it means until the pieces start coming together closer to the end of the book. As I started reading, the tone of the book was rather unemotional and descriptive, much like newspaper reporting, short on dialogue. But as Sasson moves deeper into the story, her writing becomes continually more charged with emotion, the characters become more real, and the tension created by the gradual uncovering of family secrets and mysterious pasts pushes you to read and read to find resolution.

Sasson weaves together the lives of Arab Muslims, Arab Christians, Polish Jews, German Nazis, Palestinian and Jewish terrorists, and many innocent victims of human hate and prejudice. An understated message begins taking shape: Who is right or wrong? Who has the right to inflict pain and suffering on others, and when we do so, could it be we are doing it unknowingly to our own brothers? What happens when we demand an "eye for an eye"? As one character states: You end up with a bunch of blind people.

Ester's Child is a rich story of anguish, terror, loyalty, and so many other human emotions connecting all these seemingly disparate groups of people. It is interlaced with descriptions of the historical events of the times, which in particular, enlightened me about the history of the Jews and Arabs in Palestine. It very fairly, I think, represented both sides of the Arab/Jewish conflict. I am very grateful to the author for the education I received on this subject, as well as for its value as emotionally involving entertainment.

Ms. Sasson did it again! Ester's child is her latest masterpiece. This is storytelling at its finest. Although the book is fiction, the historical events are real. Ms. Sasson is able to give her readers an unbiased look at the lives of Arabs, Jews, and Germans during very difficult times in history. Through her magnificent storytelling, she is able to describe emotions and events that one can only imagine. Having read her other books, The Rape of Kuwait, Princess, Princess Sultana's Circle, and Princess Sultana's Daughters, I have a better appreciation and understanding of other cultures. Ms. Sasson transports you to the lives of her characters. In her Princess trilogy she does that with such ease!
Do not miss out! You will not regret this!

I have read this book - in fact I did not put it down.
I was not disappointed when I reached the end - the emotions this book managed to touch within me showed not only that the author had paid attention to historical detail but also to the detail of human nature and the depth of Joy and Sorrow that a living being can experience.