I want to say up front I received this book from Librarything’s Early Reviewer program. Thank you Librarything and thank you Michael Darkow for the book.

Our Promised Land is a novel that centers around the Jewish/Palestine fight over Jerusalem . I do not know a lot about the conflict, but am always looking to books to help me understand. I know that after WWII the UN promised the displaced Jewish people a place of their own. Jerusalem was the land the Jewish survivors wanted despite the fact that Jerusalem was the Palestine homeland. What I do not understand is why this land was promised to the Jews and why it seems the Palestine people were displaced. Many cultures call Jerusalem their holy land, and once again it became a place of conflict because of the UN and Jewish people’s decision to drive the Palestines from their homes. It is confusing because Nazi Germany had just pushed Jewish people from their home; I would think the Jewish people would be more sensitive to the Palestine people. There must be more to the conflict, and I need to read up on it to better understand both sides.

Our Promised Land does not answer any of my questions but it does show the lengths people will go to ensure they have a home, and how war can spiral out of control. Darkow introduces the reader to two main characters; Ellie who survives a Nazi concentration camp and Yasif a Palestinian who wants peace and travels to America in order to get away from the fighting only to be pulled in when his brother dies after a botched suicide attack. The two mens lives intersect when espionage and double identities pull them together.

The book is short; less than 200 pages. This did not give Darkow enough time to develop the characters so I cannot say I connected with any of them. Some of the scenes seemed rushed while others went on a little longer than necessary and did not add to the plot. I would have like to have learned more about Ellie’s transition from Holocaust survivor to officer in the Israeli Army. As an espionage novel the plot works, though at times it is a little farfetched for me; then again I am not into spy novels so it may have had a normal plot for the genre. All I can say is Our Promised Land showed me what men will do to call a piece of land home and reminded me that war is fought on many levels. If you like books about war and espionage this short tense novel may be for you. Just keep in mind Darkow does not just write about conflict he asks his readers to think about conflict. This is something we should all do more often.

As most of my followers know I am a huge fan of NPR and its many podcasts. A few weeks back I listened to Talk of the Nation Science Friday’s Ira Flatow interview Deborah Blum, the author of The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York. Blum wrote Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life and Death, a book I read a couple of years ago and really liked. Normally a book about the birth of forensic medicine would not appeal to me and to be honest I would not have picked this book up had it not been for the interview. This book is yet another example of why I love NPR’s author interviews.

I got my copy from my local library. I was not sure what to expect as the only thing I know about forensics is what I learned from TV. Oh what a treat this book turned out to be! Not only is it highly educational it is highly entertaining. Once I started reading it was hard to put down.

The story centers around Dr. Charles Norris, Manhattan’s first trained chief medical examiner, and Alexander Gettler, its first toxicologist. These two men work together to bring Jazz Age New York into the 20^th century. Both men were fascinating characters, hard workers, overachievers who understood death could come from toxins and chemicals used with abandon as science pushed advancement without testing for possible side effects on humans and the environment. Killers also knew many of these chemicals and elements could kill; Norris is charged with not only finding out how certain murders happen but also to come up with ways to test and prove his finding. With the help of Gettler, Norris changes the public perception of science and forensic judicial testimony.

Blum shows her readers how the government secretly dealt with prohibition; they poisoned the household and pharmaceutical alcohol hoping drinkers would stop using it to make bootleg liquor. Norris was outraged by this and pointed out that many more people died of alcohol poisoning during prohibition than before. He spent years writing the government and warning the public about the dangers of homegrown liquor, but it is not until the rich start to die does anyone listen.

The book follows a few murder cases and with each Blum proves herself to be a compelling storyteller. I could never put the book down mid-chapter. I always had to follow each case to the end. I found Blum’s explanation of how elements work almost as enjoyable as her case studies. This book has it all; a fascinating subject, wonderful and evil characters, and a plot that at times keeps you in suspense by an author who pulls everything together to weave a story that may stay with you for a long time.

The View From Sari's World

Our Promised Land a Review

The Poisoner’s Handbook a review

I got my copy from my local library. I was not sure what to expect as the only thing I know about forensics is what I learned from TV. Oh what a treat this book turned out to be! Not only is it highly educational it is highly entertaining. Once I started reading it was hard to put down.

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I got my copy from my local library. I was not sure what to expect as the only thing I know about forensics is what I learned from TV. Oh what a treat this book turned out to be! Not only is it highly educational it is highly entertaining. Once I started reading it was hard to put down.

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