Author: Carol Matas CAN
Publication: Markham, ON : Scholastic Canada, Inc.
Pub. Date: 1998
ISBN: 05920124900
Pages: 141
Summary: Ruth Mendenberg has survived World War II and the concentration camps, and her perilous journey to a kibbutz in Palestine. There she works in a garden, where she has found beauty and tranquility. But tensions build, and Ruth's garden is trampled by soldiers' boots. Ruth desperately wants peace, but finds herseld forced into violent situations in order to preserve her new life. How far will she go to make a new home?
Major characters: Ruth, Zvi (her boyfriend), Sima (a friend), Simon (Ruth's brother), Aunt Sophie (commander of the Palmach)
Comments: As the sequel to After the War, this book tells the story of a group of young Jews who decide to start a new life in Palestine and the lengths they go to in order to protect it. Set during the time of the partitioning of Palestine and the establishment of Israel, it follows the teenagers as they fight to defend the land they believe is rightfully theirs. The book describes the various factions of the Israeli forces and tries to explain how these people must have felt. Although the author seems to be more sympathetic to the Jews, there are moments during the story when they are shown in a less-than-flattering light, so an attempt is made to show both sides of the conflict.
Genre: Historical fiction
Age level: 10-15
Rating: 4/5
