All the Rivers: A Novel - Softcover

Rabinyan, Dorit

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0399591206 ISBN 13: 9780399591204

Publisher: Random House, 2017

Synopsis

A controversial, award-winning story about the passionate but untenable affair between an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man, from one of Israel's most acclaimed novelists

When Liat meets Hilmi on a blustery autumn afternoon in Greenwich Village, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Charismatic and handsome, Hilmi is a talented young artist from Palestine. Liat, an aspiring translation student, plans to return to Israel the following summer. Despite knowing that their love can be only temporary, that it can exist only away from their conflicted homeland, Liat lets herself be enraptured by Hilmi: by his lively imagination, by his beautiful hands and wise eyes, by his sweetness and devotion.

Together they explore the city, sharing laughs and fantasies and pangs of homesickness. But the unfettered joy they awaken in each other cannot overcome the guilt Liat feels for hiding him from her family in Israel and her Jewish friends in New York. As her departure date looms and her love for Hilmi deepens, Liat must decide whether she is willing to risk alienating her family, her community, and her sense of self for the love of one man.

Banned from classrooms by Israel's Ministry of Education, Dorit Rabinyan's remarkable novel contains multitudes. A bold portrayal of the strains--and delights--of a forbidden relationship, All the Rivers (published in Israel as Borderlife) is a love story and a war story, a New York story and a Middle East story, an unflinching foray into the forces that bind us and divide us. "The land is the same land," Hilmi reminds Liat. "In the end all the rivers flow into the same sea."

Praise for All the Rivers

"Rabinyan's book is a sort of Romeo and Juliet, a forbidden love affair between a Jewish girl from Tel Aviv and a Palestinian boy from Hebron. . . . [A] beautiful novel."--The Guardian

"A fine, subtle, and disturbing study of the ways in which public events encroach upon the private lives of those who attempt to live and love in peace with each other, and, impossibly, with a riven and irreconcilable world."--John Banville, Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sea

"I'm with Dorit Rabinyan. Love, not hate, will save us. Hatred sows hatred, but love can break down barriers."--Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature

"Astonishing . . . [a] precise and elegant love story, drawn with the finest of lines."--Amos Oz

"Rabinyan's writing reflects the honesty and modesty of a true artisan."--Haaretz

"Because the novel strikes the right balance between the personal and the political, and because of her ability to tell a suspenseful and satisfying story, we decided to award Dorit Rabinyan's [All the Rivers] the 2015 Bernstein Prize."--From the 2015 Bernstein Prize judges' decision

"[All the Rivers] ought to be read like J. M. Coetzee or Toni Morrison--from a distance in order to get close."--Walla!

"Beautiful and sensitive . . . a human tale of rapprochement and separation . . . a noteworthy human and literary achievement."--Makor Rishon

"A captivating (and heartbreaking) gem, written in a spectacular style, with a rich, flowing, colorful and addictive language."--Motke

"A great novel of love and peace."--La Stampa

"A novel that truly speaks to the heart."--Corriere della Sera

About this title

Review

I am impressed. Even the (asymmetrical) tragedy of the two peoples does not overwhelm this precise and elegant love story, drawn with the finest of lines. There are many astonishing things about this book. Amos Oz
Rabinyan is a generous writer who puts her characters first. . . . Rabinyan s writing reflects the honesty and modesty of a true artisan. She is meticulous, to be sure, but at the same time she doesn t appear to be straining, and this is what sets someone like her apart from those who merely practice the craft of writing. Ha aretz
In All the Rivers, Rabinyan juggles cultures, languages, art forms, places, times, and seasons. Because of the novel s epic fullness, its realistic plot which takes place in three cities New York, Tel-Aviv, and Ramallah whose symbolic weight within the current psychological and political reality is admirable, because the novel strikes the right balance between the personal and the political, and because of her ability to tell a suspenseful and satisfying story, we decided to award Dorit Rabinyan s All the Rivers the 2015 Bernstein Prize. From the 2015 Bernstein Prize judges decision
[A] brave story that maintains a delicate balance and is too smart to be didactic or priggish. Dorit Rabinyan s All the Rivers ought to be read like J. M. Coetzee or Toni Morrison from a distance in order to get close. We might be born Montague or Capulet, but we can choose not to be part of the tragedy. Walla!
Beautiful and sensitive . . . a human tale of rapprochement and separation . . . Rabinyan s ability to construct a complex situation in which stereotypes of weakness and strength are transcended and true connections are revealed behind that which divides us is a noteworthy human and literary achievement, grounded in sensitive, refined and non-derivative writing. Makor Rishon
There s no doubt Rabinyan knows how to tell a story. The indecisions, moods and even the weather all take on unique beauty with her. Saloona
A captivating (and heartbreaking) gem, written in a spectacular style, with a rich, flowing, colorful and addictive language. It was definitely worth the wait. Motke
Rabinyan s ability to create a rich realism alongside a firm, clear and convincing flow of emotional vacillations is evident in the novel and gives the work a literary momentum and makes the reading both compelling and enjoyable. Yotam Shwimmer, YNET
This is not a political manifesto but an intelligent and emotional novel and a plea for the freedom of love. EMOTION
A great love story. Deutschlandfunk
A great novel of love and peace. La Stampa
All the Rivers is more real and painful than a deep wound, a novel that truly speaks to the heart. Not to hearts hardened by money, interests or selfishness. It speaks to who listens to what we have inside of us, and about the joy of sharing it with those who have opened, through love, the door to our secrets. Corriere della Sera"

International praise for All the Rivers
"A fine, subtle, and disturbing study of the ways in which public events encroach upon the private lives of those who attempt to live and love in peace with each other, and, impossibly, with a riven and irreconcilable world."--John Banville, Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sea
"I'm with Dorit Rabinyan. Love, not hate, will save us. Hatred sows hatred, but love can break down barriers."--Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature
"Astonishing . . . Even the (asymmetrical) tragedy of the two peoples does not overwhelm this precise and elegant love story, drawn with the finest of lines."--Amos Oz
"Rabinyan is a generous writer who puts her characters first. . . . Rabinyan's writing reflects the honesty and modesty of a true artisan."--Haaretz
"Rabinyan juggles cultures, languages, art forms, places, times, and seasons. . . . Because the novel strikes the right balance between the personal and the political, and because of her ability to tell a suspenseful and satisfying story, we decided to award Dorit Rabinyan's [All the Rivers] the 2015 Bernstein Prize."--From the 2015 Bernstein Prize judges' decision
"[All the Rivers] ought to be read like J. M. Coetzee or Toni Morrison--from a distance in order to get close. We might be born Montague or Capulet, but we can choose not to be part of the tragedy."--Walla!
"Beautiful and sensitive . . . a human tale of rapprochement and separation . . . a noteworthy human and literary achievement."--Makor Rishon
"A captivating (and heartbreaking) gem, written in a spectacular style, with a rich, flowing, colorful and addictive language."--Motke
"Rabinyan's ability to create a rich realism alongside a firm, clear and convincing flow of emotional fluctuations . . . gives the work a literary momentum and makes the reading both compelling and enjoyable."--Ynet
"A great novel of love and peace."--La Stampa
"More real and painful than a deep wound . . . a novel that truly speaks to the heart."--Corriere della Sera

"Rabinyan's book is a sort of Romeo and Juliet, a forbidden love affair between a Jewish girl from Tel Aviv and a Palestinian boy from Hebron. . . . [A] beautiful novel."--The Guardian

"A fine, subtle, and disturbing study of the ways in which public events encroach upon the private lives of those who attempt to live and love in peace with each other, and, impossibly, with a riven and irreconcilable world."--John Banville, Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sea

"I'm with Dorit Rabinyan. Love, not hate, will save us. Hatred sows hatred, but love can break down barriers."--Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature

"Astonishing . . . Even the (asymmetrical) tragedy of the two peoples does not overwhelm this precise and elegant love story, drawn with the finest of lines."--Amos Oz

"Rabinyan is a generous writer who puts her characters first. . . . Rabinyan's writing reflects the honesty and modesty of a true artisan."--Haaretz

"Rabinyan juggles cultures, languages, art forms, places, times, and seasons. . . . Because the novel strikes the right balance between the personal and the political, and because of her ability to tell a suspenseful and satisfying story, we decided to award Dorit Rabinyan's [All the Rivers] the 2015 Bernstein Prize."--From the 2015 Bernstein Prize judges' decision

"[All the Rivers] ought to be read like J. M. Coetzee or Toni Morrison--from a distance in order to get close. We might be born Montague or Capulet, but we can choose not to be part of the tragedy."--Walla!

"Beautiful and sensitive . . . a human tale of rapprochement and separation . . . a noteworthy human and literary achievement."--Makor Rishon

"A captivating (and heartbreaking) gem, written in a spectacular style, with a rich, flowing, colorful and addictive language."--Motke

"Rabinyan's ability to create a rich realism alongside a firm, clear and convincing flow of emotional fluctuations . . . gives the work a literary momentum and makes the reading both compelling and enjoyable."--Ynet

"A great novel of love and peace."--La Stampa

"More real and painful than a deep wound . . . a novel that truly speaks to the heart."--Corriere della Sera

Book Description

A haunting love story between a young Israeli translator and a Palestinian painter

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0399591206
• ISBN 13: 9780399591204
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288