The Lonely Tree by Yael Politis
Tonia moves with her family from Poland to British Mandate Palestine, first to her uncle's small apartment in Tel Aviv and later to the kibbutz that her father Josef helped to establish. Due to the hardships of life in the kibbutz and against the backdrop of what is happening in Nazi-occupied Europe, she longs for security and comfort. Then she meets Amos, tall with ever so long legs and dark complexion, her 'Italian boy'. Both have their hearts set on different ideals, yet they are unmistakably drawn to each other. They make an interesting pair. Amos is a handsome and exotic Yemenite who fights in the Jewish underground, to which Tonia's father is vehemently opposed. Despite their different backgrounds Tonia and Amos fall in love. This budding romance is interrupted by the siege of Tonia's home, Kfar Etzion. The desperate fight is described very movingly in this fictionalized account of the siege and fall of the Etzion Bloc. Afterward Tonia makes a great sacrifice in order to realize her dream. She moves to Grand Rapids, Michigan in the US, hoping her family will follow her. But is this where she belongs?
'The Lonely Tree is an exciting love story, with unforgettable characters and a thoughtful perspective of the history behind the emergence of Israel' - Bookish Magpie blog 'In the end, freedom and security are defined differently by each character, and their paths to finding both make for a book well worth reading.' - Historical Novel Society 'Tonia Schulman is a strong young woman who uses inventiveness and hard work to get what she wants.' - Review by aoli 'Yael Politis has written an extremely moving portrait of a nation, her people, her enemies and the lives lived there.' Lisa Johnson on her Seeking with all Yur Heart blog 'The Lonely Tree is a breath of fresh air ... it has a lot of heart.' - Gillian Polack on Bibliobuffet 'Yael Politis has created an entirely believable heroine, who I warmed to and grew to care for.' 'The writing is very eloquent and the story flowed beautifully. The narrative is moving, with humour and pathos and is also very informative about a specific part of Jewish history.' 'I would highly recommend this book.' - Between the Pages blog & BookRabbit 'The author's writing style is excellent, it flows well and tells the story in such a way that it is immediately interesting.' ' - Yael Politis is an excellent author who really knows how to make a story readable, this is a book that everyone should read at some point.' - Curious Book Fans 'The book is well written, with evocative descriptions, gripping action, well-realized characters, and authentic appeals to the emotions.' 'It is a good read for people interested in family relationships, courtship, marriage, cultural identity, and the birth of the modern state of Israel.' - Elma Schemenauer on her blog and goodreads 'Politis' style is restrained, economical and mostly understated. She is a remarkably unobtrusive author. I believe that you will find not a single dull paragraph in this entire work. It is a gripping insight into the psyche of several different kinds of person, a vivid account of the forces that drive both human idealism and human destructiveness.' - Gold Dust magazine. 'It is also a story about the importance of family that is, ... a badly needed reminder in our increasingly secular, disconnected world.' '... it is the story of a group of people who hate war and take up the sword only because their Arab neighbors refuse to let them live in peace, and a reminder that the most powerful weapon Israel has, is hope.' - Aaron Hecht's blog. 'The Lonely Tree, movingly written by rising author Yael Politis, is an important contribution to Jewish and Zionist literature.' - Jewish Tribune Canada 'The Lonely Tree by Yael Politis is a sweeping tale set against the Jewish settlement of Palestine and the establishment of a Jewish state. ... This book is a great one for book clubs.' - Mother and Daughter Book Club '...I recommend this book... at 443 pages, I finished this book in a couple of days...' - Valerie McInroe on her blog Life is a Patchwork Quilt.
Yael Politis grew up in Dearborn, Michigan and moved to Israel in 1973. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and studied towards an MA at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She has held a number of positions, often to do with her talent for writing and her knowledge of English and Hebrew. She has translated a number of books and stories from Hebrew into English. The Lonely Tree, which won a YouWriteOn Book of Year 2009 award, is her debut novel.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781907320088 |
| ISBN 10 | 1907320083 |
| Title | The Lonely Tree |
| Author | Yael Politis |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Holland Park Press |
| Year published | 2010-02-28 |
| Number of pages | 398 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |