EXILE by Richard North Patterson
Richard North Patterson is one of the most intriguing writers of fiction we have today. His novels tackle issues that alienate half his readers, but he seems to thrive on the controversy. His latest novel EXILE is the story of a relationship between a Jewish man and a Palestinian woman. It is timely, it is topical, it is fascinating.
David Wolfe is the central figure in EXILE. He is a Jewish lawyer whose future seems to be ordained. He is engaged to a wealthy woman who is a pillar of the San Francisco Jewish community. Together they make an unbeatable pair. David is also a very successful defense attorney who has made headlines with cases that fight against the death penalty. He is now eyeing a political career and it looks as though everything is lining up in his favor.
But then Hana Arif comes back into his life. She is a Palestinian woman David met when he was attending Harvard Law School. Hana was also a student there, and was engaged to a fellow Palestinian student Saed Kalib. This did not keep David and Hana from entering into a passionate love affair. Hana was the one who ended their relationship and moved on.
Now some thirteen years later David gets a phone call from her and it turns his world upside down. Hana is married to Saed and has a thirteen-year-old daughter Munira. They are in the country to protest the activities of Amos Ben-Aron, the Prime Minister of Israel. David cuts his conversation with Hana short as he does not wish to become involved with her again, but somehow the old feelings linger.
The next time he hears from her she is indeed a friend in need. Ben-Aron has been assassinated and she has been contacted by the police as to her possible involvement. Against his better judgement David agrees to be her attorney. This agreement seals his fate as Hana is eventually charged in the death of Ben-Aron and the entire Jewish world appears to turn against David Wolfe for defending her.
The complex relationship between the Jews of the world and the Palestinians is covered in depth in this novel. In order to defend Hana, David has to learn the history of both civilizations and the way their fates are inter-twined. As David learns, so does the reader and the facts that follow are an education most of us have not had before this story.
Patterson is a well-balanced writer. He gives the viewpoint of both the Jews and the Palestinians in his novel, and that is not an easy thing to do. It shows that he put great care and attention into his crafting of this story.
EXILE is a first rate novel till its ending, which is weak. It feels as though Patterson painted himself into a corner with the actions of his characters and then couldn't find a satisfactory way to resolve their story. So instead of his book ending on a high note the plot just fizzles out. Still this does not make the book unworthy of being read. For all of the other good aspects of the story, this is a must read.
EXILE is published by Henry Holt. It contains 562 pages and sells for $26.00.