Have you ever wanted to know more about the birth of the nation of Israel?

Have you ever wondered how Israel has survived and thrived for over 50 years, being

Have you thought about why it was even necessary to have a Jewish nation, when there are large segments of Jewish population all over the world, seemingly well integrated into society?

If these questions have ever crossed your mind, and you want them answered, but don’t want to peruse your history books or sit through a long documentary on the history channel…then “Exodus” , the Leon Uris written, 1959 book of epic proportions, is for you.

“Exodus” is the story of the birth of the nation of Israel in 1948. It is couched in a wonderful plot, with a magnificent hero (Ari Ben Canaan), beautiful, courageous heroines (Kitty Forrestor, Jordana, Karen), and enough adventure, action, and drama to appeal universally to all fiction lovers.

The central plot , set in 1946,  is about the exodus of 300 Jewish children from a British refugee camp in Cyprus to the land of Palestine, and the hardship they face to get there. It is about the brave people- Jewish and Non-Jewish- who help them get there, and then about how they actually CREATE civilization in the land that they consider “the promised” land.

Each of the characters in the book has a story, has a past dotted with suffering and immense courage. Some of these stories go as far back as the 16th /18th century, when pogroms (large scale rioting/violence) against the Jews took place in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe. And yes, the book does delve deeply into the Second World War and the Holocaust.

 You may question why the book has to travel over all those time periods when the main action is set in 1946…but when you are through with the book, you will realize why it is important. To answer the kind of questions I’ve put forth in the beginning of my review, to understand what drives a race of people towards a piece of land they’ve only heard about from their ancestors, to understand why it is so important for them to BELONG there…you have to delve deep into the past for enlightenment

If you are a book lover and haven’t read this book thus far, do read it without fail. It may sound heavy and mired in tragedy…but it isn’t. Ultimately, this book is about survival and the triumph of human spirit above all odds….and THAT can never be anything but joyous. I’ve read this book at least 5 times, and each time I read it, I feel uplifted.