Father, Son, Stone

This book was amazing! I couldn't put it downByNJBon August 19, 2014Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseThis book was amazing! I couldn't put it down. I was totally engrossed in the story and learned an immeasurable amount of history. The author was able to weave fact and fiction so seamlessly that I still am having trouble believing that this was not an actual series of events that took place. Meticulous research and incredible imagination made for a real page-turner!CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Great first novelByBJBon August 10, 2014Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseFather, Son, Stone is an engaging novel that brings a controversy over arguably the most valuable real estate in Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, from the past, into the present, and on into the future. An Israeli Supreme Court judge is asked to make a ruling about control over the property after excavations being done under the Dome of the Rock damage the Kotel (Western Wall). His personal history as a soldier, father, and Jew has an influence on his interpretation of the evidence he reviews while deciding the case. The humanity of the judge, his personal loss at the hands of those who thrive on conflict, and his story of renewal are a large part of what makes this novel compelling. The author does a great job of creating a sense of mystery and curiosity, beginning with the opening scene of a grandfather telling his story to his grandson, though neither one is identified until the end of the novel. By the halfway point, as many seemingly disparate story lines become interwoven, I couldn't put the book down. The conclusion of the novel creates a hope for the future that one can only pray will become reality.

I am in awe of the amount and depth of research that must have gone into writing this book. The author displays a profound knowledge of both Hebrew and Arabic language, as well as Jewish and Moslem religious history, tenets of faith, and interfaith relations. He also obviously has first hand experience with Israeli food, customs, personalities, and culture. Anyone with an interest in the current state of Arab-Israeli relations will find Allan Goodman's first novel entertaining, enlightening, and thought provoking. A most enjoyable read.1 commentWas this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

An Auspicious Debut!ByAcesn8son August 12, 2014Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseJudge Goodman's first novel is a mystery, a love story and a learned, plausible alternative history of both familiar and obscure keystone Holy Land events. Extraordinarily researched and meticulously plotted by an author competent in Arabic and Hebrew, Father, Son, Stone is a literary and philosophical triumph and a "can't put it down" read: I devoured it in one overnight session. Once the word gets out about this newly published work Solomon Publications should have another best seller on its hands.CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse

A fascinating story by a very engaging storyteller.ByKent Hollandon November 11, 2014Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseThis well written novel combines historical facts, with a creative fictional tale containing suspense and judicial hearings to resolve the curious question of why Israel, after winning control of Jerusalem following the Six Day War in 1967, allowed the Islamic Waqf to retain control over the Temple Mount. As a well-crafted mystery, the story unfolds through testimony presented at a very unique judicial proceeding that leads to a surprising conclusion –that is certain to lead to some great book club discussions. Along the journey of this novel, the author who is himself a judge, lets the reader walk in the shoes of the fictional judge who is at the center of this story and must consider the evidence, search for the truth, and deliver the right decision even when not necessarily the decision that was expected. While unraveling the mystery of the Temple Mount we also share in the heartache, hope, and ultimately the joy of the judge and his family who come to grips with personal tragedy, and find peace in a most surprising way.

As one of the witnesses explains during the hearing, “History is a mixture of what is remembered, forgotten, hidden and confused.” He asks, “Is memory accurate or just what people want to remember as true?” As the judge reflects upon the testimony, he shares the insight that, “In court, as in archaeological excavations, truth had to be extracted from layers of compressed historical rubble. Truth was like sunlight, reflecting from the sea or the desert. Depending on what it struck, and who was watching sunlight could be brilliant, subtle, distinct, or vague. A judge sifted through testimony, documents, innuendo, ambiguity, faded memory, and bias. Even then, it was difficult to determine what was true.”

Much later in the novel, after the judge hears compelling testimony based on memories that were passed down from generation to generation (certainly not the kind of testimony admissible in your typical court), we learn, “Silence descended in the room. [The judge] felt the flash of understanding that struck him whenever he reached a decision. It came to him in an instant. It was a sense of order and rationality that later could be parsed into words and sentences.”

I greatly enjoyed the creative thinking, writing and the judicial wisdom shared in the words and sentences of this compelling story.CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

A rich, spellbinding mystery for all readers, especially those who enjoy historyByMLS "MLS"on August 20, 2014Format: Paperback"Father, Son, Stone" is a spellbinding mystery, rich with historical insight and many moral lessons from which people of all cultures and backgrounds can learn. Told through the lens of many different characters throughout many hundreds of years, Judge Goodman's book seamlessly weaves many curious events together to tell the story of a highly secretive, but very important, trial in the Israeli Supreme Court. Following the collapse of the Kotel, presumed to be caused by archaeological exploration by those in control of the Temple Mount, Justice Meir Bar-Aben must decide whether everything he and the Jewish people have been led to believe is false, rekindling friendships and heartache along the way. The story shares the trials and tribulations of Jewish, Muslim and Christian people throughout many periods in Jerusalem, and subtly proposes that no matter what has divided many people in and surrounding Israel with violence and sadness, all people have the capacity to learn from each other's experiences so they might live together peacefully. Judge Goodman has written a fantastic story that is easy to read and hard to put down. I will wait anxiously to see the next novel he decides to write.CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse

Full of Suspense, Nice JobByBarry Graham "bmgmusic"on May 4, 2015Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseI really enjoyed this book and I don't read books often these days. It was recommended to me by a friend and mentor from my old company, who knows the author (I don't). The ending was very different from what I expected, and I think the author did a good job of pointing out at the end what was fact and what was fiction. Only one thing to correct, which is that we don't wear the tallis when praying evening prayers (except on Yom Kippur when we wouldn't be an on airplane), only for morning prayers, so there needs to be some rewriting around this part of the plot. Other than that I didn't see any glaring inaccuracies. Nice job!CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

This book is a MUST READ!ByAmazon shopperon August 15, 2014Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseThis is a well-crafted page-turner with multiple story lines, containing absorbing history about Israel, in ancient times and the present. I recognized many of the historical characters, but did not know what was true and what was fiction. The author answered this for me with extensive material at the end of the book, including historical chronology and an explanation of the historical and fictional characters. Read this book! You will not be disappointed.

Author Bio:

Allan H. Goodman is a judge, mediator, arbitrator and educator. He has written two best-selling non-fiction books, Basic Skills for the New Mediator (2nd Ed.) and Basic Skills for the New Arbitrator (2nd Ed.). He lived in Israel for two summers during college, working on kibbutzim and studying Hebrew. He majored in International Affairs at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, where his studies included Islamic History, Middle East Politics and Diplomacy, and Arabic. He also earned a law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law, and was in private practice before becoming a judge.