BOTH sides have sustained needless suffering, pain and death of its innocents. The book not only acknowledges why and how the Jewish people have felt victimized and oppressed BUT ALSO the Palestinian point of view. His ability to make the reader sympathize with both sides shows a unique writing style. More importantly, the author clearly researched both sides of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. This was an excellent novel which doesn't take sides, but tries to explain the plight of both the Jews and the Palestinians. David has to travel to Israel to seek important evidence as the case possibly involves a larger conspiracy. Hana asks David to represent her, against his better judgment he agrees, destroying his political career and his engagement. When she asks David to meet them for lunch, he is hesitant realizing his former feelings for Hana.Ī few days after David hears from her, the visiting Israeli Prime Minister is killed by a terrorist attack and Hana is implicated through hearsay and circumstantial evidence. Now her phone call to David is to say she is visiting the states with her husband and their 12 year old daughter. They had a love affair for several months but she returned to the Middle East against David's protests and married a fellow Palestinian. Thirteen years before, Hana Arif a Palestinian woman studying in the United States, met David at Harvard where he was a law student. But with one phone call that about to all change. A good job as a lawyer in San Francisco, engaged to a wonderful woman, he also is being slated to run for Congress. In my opinion, Exile would be an excellent book to read for anyone who honestly wants to understand more about the Jewish/Palestinian conflict.ĭavid Wolfe seems to have everything.

As with any conflict there are always two points of view in a matter. The book not only tells the romantic story of a Jewish lawyer in love with a Palestinian law professor wrongly accused of a capital crime, it ALSO educates.

Exile by richard north patterson