From Publishers Weekly
Shimoni Kol, eldest of four sons of an Israeli military leader, was a mythic figure with power and influence that touched all who knew him. After his early death in war, Shimoni became a touchstone, symbolizing the strengths and failings of Israel itself. Nadav, the second son, maimed in battle himself, becomes obsessed with Shimoni's lover, Miriam Sagrossa, working out through her and her strange daughter his relationship to his family and country. Rafi, the homosexual third son who marries an American woman on his kibbutz and dreams of driving a cab in New York City, finds hope and acceptance in the memory of his brother's wisdom. For the fourth son Michael, struggling to fill Shimoni's soldier boots, the future is less clear. Actually much is unclear in the plot of this rambling novel set in postwar Israel; however, Levin, author of Water Dancer and Snow, creates a sharp and vivid picture of the effect on her characters of daily kibbutzim life: the grinding work schedule, lack of privacy and occasional soaring moments of comaraderie, shared hopes and common purpose.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
