Between Two Deserts

By Germaine Shames

Book Overview

Jerusalem lies at the end of an old Roman road, a city swathed in light and sorrow. Coming to Jerusalem to fulfill her grandfather's dying wish, Eve Cavell finds herself poised at the fault line of three worlds-Muslim, Christian and Jewish. Soon she attracts the attention of Mozes Koenig, an elderly author in search of a heroine. Eve, with her lodestar eyes and solitary dance, captivates the old man's imagination, and together they create an opus to humanity in a city made of stone. With lyricism and allure, Germaine Shames captures a world of compassion amid chaos and peace within war through her characters' triumphs and calvary. Reviews of Note: "Shames, a former Middle East correspondent, skillfully intertwines the lives of this diverse cast of characters to produce a tightly executed, emotion-filled work." Publisher's Weekly "(The novelist) creates the intense atmosphere of an unstable world with grace and a sort of lyric power." National Public Radio "One might expect the journalist and novelist to approach this story quite differently, but in Between Two Deserts, foreign correspondent Germaine Shames has realized a combination of these crafts, lucidly capturing those immutable qualities that speak to our souls." Rain Taxi "In Jerusalem where rhetoric and revenge rule, Shames shows us humanity and insight." Bloomsbury Review

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1507897820
• ISBN13: 9781507897829
• Release Date: March 2015
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Across Religious Boundaries

It is refreshing to find a book, set at the heart of the Middle East crisis that is not biased for any of the protagonists. It allows all parties to the conflict their dignity and puts a human face on a war that is little understood.These are fully human characters and their colliding lives make for a powerful literate read.

Jerusalem of Gold

"Between Two Deserts" caught my eye on the "new books" stacks at the library because I'll give a second glance at anything about Israel; fortunately, I decided to bring this book home and read it. Eva is awoman rediscovering her heritage and exploring a new world - her two deserts. As she interacts with a cavalcade of different characters (including a number of men, it turns out) we get glimpses of her poetic soul; I would have liked more than glimpses.