A review by cetaylor05
Jerusalem: A Family Portrait by Boaz Yakin

4.0

Set in the British Mandate of Palestine on the eve of its independence, it would be all too easy to ascribe historical or political meaning to every plot point in the story about an extended family torn apart by jealousy and ideology. While Yakin almost certainly intends for the reader to consider such interpretations, any mapping of this narrative to another is bound to reveal less about the author's opinion than it does about the audience's point of view. Halaby family patriarch Yakov is dedicated to immiserating his younger brother Izak because their father favored his youngest son in his will. As a successful businessman and rabbi, he certainly has the means to do so, and does not hesitate. The ravages of instability and poverty take a heavy toll on Izak’s family, driving its sons to seek empowerment via the two major underground movements of the day: international communism and militant Zionism. The interplay between historical events and family dynamics is at once sophisticated and intimate. While a working knowledge of the era is useful to understanding the forces at play, the powerful story is itself a powerful inducement to learn more about the historical context. CHRISTINA E. TAYLOR