Our Promised Land by Michael T. Darkow

Our Promised Land by Michael T. Darkow (Rating 4)
Published by Synergy Books
ISBN-13: 978-0-9840760-1-7
ISBN-10: 0-9840760-1-8
At the request of Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists, a HC copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis: (from the book’s jacket) In the bitter conflict over the Holy Land, two generations of families-one Israeli and one Palestinian-fight for their survival and their own piece of the Promised Land. Hardened by life in a Nazi concentration camp, cynical Ellie finds himself in a battle on behalf of the Jewish people, vowing to ensure their suffering will not be in vain. Overseas, Yasif, a Palestinian who left his home country at a young age to study in America, is mysteriously drawn into the struggle by an entity known only as the voice.
  My Thoughts/Opinion: This is not the type of book that I would typically read but once I started reading it, was fully engrossed. The author obviously did a lot of research in regard to the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and wove it into a fictional tale. The characters believable whereas this reader could identify with the emotions felt by Ellie and Yasif. Is this conflict about land believed to be owned, religious beliefs, or just simply put, good versus evil? This book is only 162 pages but after reading Mr. Darkow’s bio, I felt that I should share why he came to write this very informative and emotional story. Mr. Darkow states, “Watching the plight of these people almost nightly on the news moved me to consider what could be done to bring peace to this part of the world. In using Ellie and Yasif as an illustration of the turmoil in Israel, it is my hope that readers will be inspired to think about how they can improve Israeli-Palestinian relations in America and of course in the region.” (from Phenix & Phenix press package).
  Rating: 4 star