Exile (Thorndike Paperback Bestsellers) | 
| Author: Richard North Patterson
Publisher: Large Print Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $7.99
You Save: $6.96 (47%)
New (14) Used (9) from $4.47
Avg. Customer Rating:  79 reviews
Sales Rank: 526747
Format: Large Print
Media: Paperback
Edition: Lrg
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 823
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.4
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 6.1 x 1.6
ISBN: 1594132224
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781594132223
ASIN: 1594132224
Publication Date: October 10, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: This is a brand new, unopened copy in printer-fresh mint condition. NOT remainder marked, used, or ex-library.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 74 more reviews...
 Disappointed July 12, 2008
I was disappointed in this purchase for two reasons: It took a long time to arrive and the book was not in good condition as it was described. The cover was bent and it was clearly very used, not in good condition as advertised.
Uncovering the Roots of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict June 5, 2008
A simple question: Who's to blame for the last 60 years of violence in the Middle East?
The next time you hear someone say: "It's all Israel's fault!" or "Blame the Palestinians!," give them a copy of Richard North Patterson's novel, "Exile." Unlike many partisan writers, Patterson clearly sees both sides of this terrible conflict, using his fictional characters to expose the deep roots of the ongoing violence that affects us all.
Here's a quick PLOT SUMMARY: David Wolfe is a successful Jewish attorney in San Francisco with political aspirations and a bright future. Although he's engaged to a nice Jewish woman, we also learn that he had a secret affair with a Palestinian beauty named Hana Arif while at Harvard Law School 13 years ago.
Out of the blue, the prime minister of Israel -- a peace loving man modeled after Yitzhak Rabin -- is assassinated by a suicide bomber while visiting San Francisco. Guess whom the government accuses of masterminding the crime? You got it! David Wolfe's old girlfriend, Hana. Now guess who gets to defend her in court?
The next 500 pages of the novel chronicle David's painful search for truth as he travels to Israel, the occupied West Bank and southern Lebanon. In graphic detail, we experience the horrific suffering on both sides of the conflict. It's a good example of how fiction can teach us things we can't necessarily learn from history books, such as the immense emotional toll of violence on children and families. Best of all, the author doesn't force us to take sides -- we are compelled to think for ourselves. (What a great concept in this age of pre-packaged ideological "solutions.")
"Exile" includes several interesting subplots about Hamas, Fatah and the fundamentalist Israeli settlers, all of whom have contributed to the current mess -- not to mention international players like Iran, America and Syria. In the end, we see the terrible price of vengeance -- across nations, across generations and across cultures. As Gandhi said: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
While I truly enjoyed this novel, my main criticisms are as follows:
-- It's about 30% too long. A strong editor could have cut at least 200 pages from the book's length without losing much of the storyline.
-- The romantic sections are not particularly believable, particularly when he's describing Hana's passion.
-- The opposing attorney, a female prosecutor named Sharpe, is a bit of a cartoon cut-out instead of a real person.
On the plus side, the end pages of this novel include maps of the Middle East, the West Bank and the old city of Jerusalem. Very helpful stuff.
Overall, I give Patterson four stars. If you can get past the first 150 pages or so, you'll be well rewarded. Shalom and Assalamu alaikum.
 The Best Ever May 23, 2008
Exile
I found it hard to wait until bedtime which is the only point in the day when I relax with a good novel (and I am good at picking good ones). I particularly like courtroom dramas and, at 79, I've read a lot of them. EXILE is about the best of them that I remember. It combined the complications (often fascinating)of the legal points offered and rebutted--- with believable perspectives on both sides as well as with interesting and informative insights into the Israeli/Palestinian issues.
I actually felt sad to finish it and no longer have it available.
Monty Berman Ithaca, NY
I JUST LOVED IT April 30, 2008
I cannot do it justice. I was totally engrossed in the story. The characters were multi-dimensional and I loved the intricate but subtle plot. I slowed down during the account of the trip to Israel. I was getting bogged down in the political diatribe but it is an important part of the story; I have a much better understanding of the conflict & can now appreciate the Middle East news stories better.
My favorite part of the book was the trial. The strategy and arguments were so clever. I hope RNP has similarly wonderful books out there.
 Logical error April 14, 2008
The middle part of this book should have been left out as it does not tell you anything new about what is going on in the Middle East and doesn't really help the plot. I hate it when I find logical errors in a story and here is a gross one. Munira gets her visa extended for one year however she's American by birth - which is stated a couple of pages latter! I found the last 50 pages very thrilling the first 600 less so.
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