A big emotional saga set in post WWII Palestine. Sonne does his best to present balanced views of the political and religious tensions in the region. The characters are good, the story gripping.

This novel was just okay for me. I found the history interesting but the characters not so much. I found they were not likable nor realistic. Overall it fell flat.

While I learned a lot, I didn't connect to the characters or enjoy my time reading Where the Desert Meets the Sea.

Were the Desert Meets the Sea
by Werner Donne
Amazon Crossing

This is a book based on the years 1947-1948
This is a Historical Fiction Novel

First let me say this book was very informative.
There could have been a lot more character development in this book for my liking, you get hooked and then the character is gone without the feeling they were fully developed.
The book was very informative and heart touching. You can tell this author did a lot of research on the development of this book.

Judith: just arrived in Jerusalem after being in a concentration camp in Dachau she has lost all of her family to war, and only has a postcard in hand from her last relative sent before the war saying come join me in Jerusalem. She travels to Jerusalem and learns her uncle has passed away giving up hope she attempts to take her life.When she wakes up in the hospital saved from the gate she sought.This is the beginning of her new journey she joins the Zionist to fight for Jerusalem.

Hana: a nurse in the hospital has a deep love for helping people, and a deep love for a Dr she works with at the hospital. Her father wishes her to marry her fiance now. She wishes for her love of being a nurse and her love for a Jewish Dr.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for a ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Beverly E\ladyedan\ ladyedan62 on pintrest

I expected a lot from this novel as the sitting and timing is really interesting but unfortunately the characters , plot and writing style weren't that good .

The book begins in early 1947, with Judith Wertheimer arriving on the shores of TelAviv on an ship from Cyprus. She survived the horrors of the concentration camp Dachau, had lost her entire family to the war, and had her only surviving relative's address on a post card he had sent her from Israel before the war inviting her to join him in Jerusalem. She just had to hold on a little longer.....

Hana Khalidy, was a muslim, working as a nurse at Hadassah Hospital on Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem. She loved her work and the hospital, that employed and helped people of every faith. Her family had a prearranged marriage organized for her, but it was not on her to do list. She only wanted to continue working at the hospital, especially because she was captivated by David Cohen, a Jewish American doctor, but her family was becoming impatient with her, and so was her fiancé, Youssef Hamoud.

Finally there is Uri Rabinovitch, an immigrant to Israel from Lviv, who is fighting with the Hagannah, for Israel's complete Independence from British Occupation and the ever present Arab threat.

The book carries these characters through to the creation of the state of Israel, in 1948, which, according to the author Werner Sonne, was probably the most tumultuous period in the history of Israel/Palestine. To be able to get the whole period expressed in 250 pages is a feat, in and of itself. That is why, perhaps, some may argue that the book does not give the appropriate consideration to the immensity of the topic. But, one could flip that around, and say, that only because Sonne is so well versed in the politics of this tiny corner of the world, he was able to weave the politics into a tight knit story, that gives the reader a perspective on all the participants in this sensitive and complicated conflict. It is for this reason that I am impressed with Sonne's book, #wherethedesertmeetsthesea, and I was even more impressed when I read the Author's Note at the end, where he explains why he wrote the book. If you are looking to learn about this period of time, 71 years ago, I recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley for letting me read this e-ARC of #wherethedesertmeetsthesea. 5 stars. Available June 17, 2019.

This is a beautiful book about two jewish women. It will transport you to a different time and place.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Where the Desert Meets the Sea is a great historical fiction novel. The characters are well developed and the book is well written.

Although I found some of the characters to be compelling, I would say that this book is an average read. It's at least a quick read, and it's clear that Sonne did a good bit of research in writing this novel. However, for a historical fiction novel, it never got to the point where I didn't want to put the book down. I felt that a lot of the storytelling was flat, especially some moments that could have been so much more well-written. I also struggled with the way that relationships worked in this story. We did not get to see how so many of these relationships were built. It seemed like characters spoke once and then were lovers or best friends.

Sonne's attention to bringing out the humanity of the individuals works well at some points, and it's clear that he feels compassion for everybody affected by this conflict. However, it's not as great as it could have been.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Werner Somme for giving me the opportunity to read and provide feedback on #WhereTheDesertMeetsTheSea.

The author did a brilliant job of capturing the time period in this novel. The characters and plot were also well written. This was a great piece of historical fiction!