A Trumpet in the Wadi

Michael Sami is a master at juggling the complex identities of his characters. In the multifaceted stew of modern Israeli society, he is able to present readers with characters with rich and complex senses of self. A Trumpet in the Wadi does not stray from this course. For example there is Huda (her name in Arabic is derived from the word 'guide'), the narrator, an Israeli citizen, an Arab-Christian, deeply immersed in Israel Jewish Hebrew culture (she reads Yehuda Amichai's poems); she falls in love with a Russian Jewish immigrant with little or no Jewish identity. All of Sami's novels show that there is no clear cut border between one social self and another. They all bleed together. And here he accomplishes this in fine prose, with clearly drawn and engaging characters, a real sense of how people talk and act in conversation, and most importantly, with a deep sense of humanity and sympathy.

Beautifully written and translated. Author Sami Michael speaks with great intelligence and sensitivity about the multicultural state that Israel is and has been. "A Trumpet..." offers some wonderful characters struggling to live normal lives, but hampered by the baggage of history, knee jerk ethnic animosity, gender restrictions and social status. Despite all of the obstacles to happiness, Michael's subjects endure and succeed in large measure in getting on with living. There is definitely some tragedy in this story, but the reader is given much to admire in the resolute strength of these characters. A lovely, if melancholy, book.

This is a beautifully told love story told in the context of a conflict that overwhelms the individuals caught in its web. The characters are drawn so memorably, the cultures that come together described from the heart, and the meaning of family, love and duty are explored in a subtle manner that does not interfere with the telling of the story. It is a powerful indictment of war, and anyone who is lucky enough to read this book will not only be moved by the beauty of the writing, but will also gain a clearer view of the impact of the Palestinian-Israeli struggle upon the lives of the people who live in the region. A must read!!!!

The Editorial reviews do justice to the book; I can hardly elaborate... for me the best among Israeli authors today. Michael is a former commie in Iraq who has matured and wised up in the Israeli cauldron where Arabs and Jews are mortal enemies. The book will not pacify this bloodsoaked country but its readers will enjoy a well written bittersweet novel as good as the author's previous novel "Refuge" ("Hasut") also in English. "Trumpet..." is now also a good Israeli movie.