A Trumpet in the Wadi: A Novel - Softcover

Michael, Sami

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743261488 ISBN 13: 9780743261487

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2007

Synopsis

Leading Israeli novelist Sami Michael shares his gift for navigating the cultural conflicts in modern Israel with A Trumpet in the Wadi, a novel that transcends its Middle Eastern setting with an honest and heartbreaking story of impossible love and the strength of family.

Set in the months preceding the 1982 Israeli-Arab conflict in Lebanon, this beautifully written tale is the coming-of-age story of two fatherless Christian Arab sisters, Huda and Mary, who live in the wadi -- the Arab quarter in the Jewish city of Haifa on the northern coast of Israel. An extraordinary bond of love and mutual respect unites the sisters -- polar opposites from their appearances to their tempers. Huda, the narrator of the story, is thin and withdrawn and, after abandoning her chance at marriage a few years back, has prematurely resigned herself to the monotonous life of an old maid. Her younger sister, Mary, is voluptuous, carnal, and perennially unemployed. Wrapped in the love of their sometimes bitter mother, their iconoclast grandfather, and the cheerful and omnipresent neighbor Jamilla, the sisters' lives change when a peculiar young Russian Jewish immigrant, Alex, moves into the upstairs flat. The melodies of the soulful trumpet player become the intoxicating theme music for Huda's unexpected reawakening -- and for Mary's dangerous foray into a love triangle with the heir of the local Muslim mob and her country cousin.

Michael's internationally acclaimed novel is a major achievement, illuminating the vast range of interlocking relationships between Jews and Arabs, Muslims and Christians, men and women. A Trumpet in the Wadi is an honest, witty, and ultimately heartbreaking story -- one that draws on the conflicts in the Middle East, but one whose insights into love and family can cross all cultural and political boundaries.

About this title

About the Author:

Sami Michael was born in Baghdad in 1926. An advocate against the oppressive regime in Iraq during World War II, he fled to Iran and made his way to Israel in 1949. The winner of numerous literary and humanitarian prizes, he is president of the Israeli Association for Human Rights and the author of eight novels, including the international bestseller Victoria. He lives in Haifa, Israel. The film adaptation
of A Trumpet in the Wadi won the 2001 Israel Academy Film Award for Best Drama.

Review:

Diana Abu-Jaber

author of "Crescent"

Sami Michael has written an inspiring, insightful novel that dismantles long-standing cliches about the separation of Arabs and Israelis. "A Trumpet in the Wadi" is a stirring story of possibility and mutuality.

Rachel Kadish

author of "From a Sealed Room"

A stunning novel -- "A Trumpet in the Wadi" is wise, stately, sensuous, full of outrageous humor. Sami Michael leaps headlong into the magic and tragedy of lives tossed by history and in doing so captures polyglot Haifa in all its unvarnished humanity. The pages all but sing in your hands. You will not forget these characters.

Binnie Kirshenbaum

author of "Hester Among the Ruins"

"A Trumpet in the Wadi" is a passionate, human, and ultimately humane novel set against the backdrop of the Arab and Israeli conflicts. The political cannot help but be personal for these unforgettable characters; the result is the heartbreaking truth. Sami Michael has written a book which is essential in its beauty and wisdom.

Jon Papernick

author of "The Ascent of Eli Israel"

"

A Trumpet in the Wadi" is a subtle, touching portrait of love and heartache. The layered complications of Arab/Jewish relationships in Israel and the country's myriad social ills are laid bare with humor, poignancy and clarity set amidst the brewing conflict in Lebanon. Sami Michael illuminates the dark places of the heart with his shining prose.

Rachel Kadish author of "From a Sealed Room" A stunning novel -- "A Trumpet in the Wadi" is wise, stately, sensuous, full of outrageous humor. Sami Michael leaps headlong into the magic and tragedy of lives tossed by history and in doing so captures polyglot Haifa in all its unvarnished humanity. The pages all but sing in your hands. You will not forget these characters.

Jon Papernick author of "The Ascent of Eli Israel"" A Trumpet in the Wadi" is a subtle, touching portrait of love and heartache. The layered complications of Arab/Jewish relationships in Israel and the country's myriad social ills are laid bare with humor, poignancy and clarity set amidst the brewing conflict in Lebanon. Sami Michael illuminates the dark places of the heart with his shining prose.

Binnie Kirshenbaum author of "Hester Among the Ruins""A Trumpet in the Wadi" is a passionate, human, and ultimately humane novel set against the backdrop of the Arab and Israeli conflicts. The political cannot help but be personal for these unforgettable characters; the result is the heartbreaking truth. Sami Michael has written a book which is essential in its beauty and wisdom.

Diana Abu-Jaber author of "Crescent" Sami Michael has written an inspiring, insightful novel that dismantles long-standing cliches about the separation of Arabs and Israelis. "A Trumpet in the Wadi" is a stirring story of possibility and mutuality.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0743261488
• ISBN 13: 9780743261487
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256