Review: Drawing in the Dust by Zoe Klein
Occasionally a story comes along which is constantly thought-provoking, as it inspires you to deeply think about your own life and what you believe while the entertainment level remains high. Zoe Klein is a master of images and descriptions, as her vivid portrayal of settings and reactions of the characters pack each moment of DRAWING IN THE DUST with convincing realism.
For twelve years, Page Brookstone has been working at an archeological site in northern Israel. Lately, she feels as though her work is not bringing much satisfaction into her life and she yearns for more. When an Arab couple visits the site and states they need someone of her expertise to dig under their house as they believe spirits from the past also live there, Page is at first wary. However, curiosity and persistent claims by the couple have her agreeing to their appeal even though she is ridiculed by coworkers for her decision.
As she checks out the area beneath the couple’s home, a discovery of epic proportions is unearthed when a coffin containing the entwined skeletons of the prophet Jeremiah and an unknown woman called Anatiya is found. Also wondrous is the finding of a scroll written by Anatiya which raises many questions disputing biblical ideas. While Page has some personal romantic problems of her own to overcome, she remains steadfastly determined to see the scroll translated and shared with the whole world despite controversy stirred up amongst many factions.
The superb storytelling talent of Zoe Klein is extremely apparent all throughout DRAWING IN THE DUST, as her depiction of life cleverly and plausibly comes alive regardless of the time period. From the instant any of the characters are met in the present, their personalities seem exceedingly genuine and any actions they take seem humanly genuine. Even those individuals who are only known through their written words come across as particularly believable, and make the reader want to truly consider their story is more than fiction. Countless conflicts arise, some religious, others political and many of them only emotional, yet each one is described with enough background to let you know why those affected think as they do in this situation. Ms. Klein gives much depth to her characters, and though they may not always make the best decisions, these mistakes just prove they are human. Though Page interacts with many people in the story, she continuously keeps herself from becoming too close to any of them, and this sets up how she responds to the many dilemmas which crop up. When it comes to love and relationships, she is most confused and her actions are often fueled by emotions, not careful thinking. As the writings of Anatiya become available to her, the enduring love this woman from biblical times experienced gives Page insight into her own life. The expressive writing style of Ms. Klein plus the many historical facts makes the many cultures discussed in the story seem accurately true-to-life with every new detail. There is also some compelling suspense plus several magical moments to keep things even more intriguing. DRAWING IN THE DUST is a profoundly moving story of emotional growth, as unforeseen discoveries are made and startling answers are exposed.
Filed
Under:
|
About the
Book:
Genre: contemporary ISBN: 978-1416599128 Page Count: 368 Price: $ 25.00 Reviewer: Amelia Richard |
|
Print This Post |
|
|
Sensuality Rating:
Sweet Star Rating: 4.5 Stars Author's Website: http://www.zoeklein.com/ |
|
Recent Comments