Look for Me: A Novel [Paperback]

Edeet Ravel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 2004

Look for Me tells the story of Dana and her quest to find her husband who disappeared while serving in the Israeli army. Every year Dana places a newspaper ad that says, "I will never ever, ever stop waiting for you," the word "ever" repeated so that it fills the entire page. She gives interviews hoping her husband will contact her. She knows for a fact that he is alive ...

In the midst of curfews, demonstrations, and confrontations with the police, Dana falls in love with another man -- just as she learns her husband#146;s whereabouts. Will she forget the past and follow her heart with a new love, or face the dangers involved in setting out to find the man she has sought for eleven years?

Editorial Reviews

Review

A love story that aches with the passion and politics of the Middle East. -- Thane Rosenbaum (author of The Golems of Gotham)

A simmering love story. The characters are both passionate and compassionate and the author's perspective is unflinching and necessary. -- Bonnie Kirshenbaum, author of An Almost Perfect Moment

One of the most engrossing books I've read. A striking metaphor for life in Israel today. -- Paul Zakrzewski (editor of Lost Tribe: Jewish Fiction from the Edge)

The searing immanence of the author's personal experience and her polished prose converge to make a truly compelling book. -- Library Journal, July5, 2004

About the Author

Edeet Ravel was born and raised on a Marxist Israeli kibbutz and now lives in Quebec, Canada. Ten Thousand Lovers is her first novel. She holds a Ph.D. in Jewish studies.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (August 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060586222
• ISBN-13: 978-0060586225
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,139,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love & the Mideast Conflict -- I love this combo in novels, October 2, 2004

By 

Gila Svirsky (Jerusalem Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Look for Me: A Novel (Paperback)

Edeet Ravel has done it again -- a wonderful novel that integrates the political nuances of the Middle East conflict with the personal complexity of real people who live in it. The first half of the book sets the stage, portraying real people and their lives, while the second half kept me at the edge of my seat, wondering how it will all work out: will she find him? will love prevail? or will romance collide with reality?

I loved this book and eagerly await the third in the trilogy.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking tale of love and war, August 10, 2004

By 

Eileen Rieback (Coral Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Look for Me: A Novel (Paperback)

As the second volume in a trilogy about the effects of war on human relationships, this is a compelling story about an Israeli woman's search for her long-missing husband. Dana is a writer of trashy romance novels. She is also a humanitarian who attends peace rallies and photographs the suffering she encounters. Years ago, her husband Daniel disappeared after being badly burned in a military accident. Dana is certain that he is still alive but hiding, and that the army knows where he is but will not reveal his location. After eleven years, she is still searching for him. While pursuing a promising lead on his whereabouts, she falls in love with a fellow activist.

"Look For Me" realistically depicts the complexities of life in a country divided by violence and mistrust. Through the protagonist's eyes, the reader experiences hope conquering despair, love in the midst of hatred, and humor mingled with sadness. I recommend this novel not only as a simply but powerfully written story of love and fidelity but also as a thought-provoking portrait of the human side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Eileen Rieback

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Story, February 24, 2005

By 

Ellen Thorne (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Look for Me: A Novel (Paperback)

It is hard to stop reading this story of a woman torn between her loyalty to her missing husband and a new man in her life. The setting also alternates between the beauty of sea and desert, and the harsh military landscape of war and conflict. The entire novel is built on dualities, and once you realize this, it becomes even more fascinating. Palestinians and Israelis, loyalty and betrayal, beauty and ugliness, truth and lies. The minor character Volvo, who lost his legs in a suicide bomb, is nevertheless a hilarious Eeyore, grumpy and sarcastic -- until he too discovers love, but not where he expects it. A novel worth rereading.