A Jerusalem Memoir by Emma Williams (Book Review Sample)

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It's Easier To Reach Heaven than the End of the Street: A Jerusalem Memoir by Emma Williams
The author, E. Williams, is a Briton who lives among Israelis and Palestinians. She has no ideological suppositions or political agenda, and thus she is supposed to be impartial. In her work, she embarks on recollecting her life in Jerusalem as a doctor and a wife of a UN political official. The author tries her best in conforming to the expectation, although she realizes it will be a challenging task. Nevertheless, she joins her husband in 2000 just following the collapse of the talks commonly referred to as Camp David. As such, witnesses the start of second intifada. A bloody body part of a suicide bomber lands in front of her sibling’s school. In addition, she gives birth to her 4th child in a Bethlehem hospital with the entire city under siege. For instance, objects are hurled at her by settlers since she was travelling on Yom Kippur. The author reveals the compound dynamics of Jerusalem by giving a series of turbulent events. Indeed, it is an outstanding memoir, given that the author succeeds in her capacity to analyze the situation all the way through the eyes of Arab and Jew.
Israel recently marked its 65th year, and Jerusalem remains the crucible of the widely documented Israel/Palestine conflict. In the current era, peace talks have repeatedly halted as a result of the construction of housing units by Israeli on the part Palestinians want to create a future capital. As one side celebrates the development of their history, the other mourns their loss. According to the author of the book, this comprises the nature of the conflict between the two sides. Endless circles, contradiction and ripples that take each side further apart, these are events that further split two groups on the same patch of soil.
The author largely employs psycho-educational approach in revealing the events she encounters in Jerusalem. In fact, the book ends up being well-received through glowing reviews that laud her depth of insight plus unbiased selflessness of the two sides involved in the conflict. For instance, she claims that she finds herself riding the rollercoaster referred to as “the situation” (Williams 93-99). This illustrates that she intends to stay impartial, plus give it the way it is. As mentioned earlier, the dynamics surrounding the conflict is rather complex and the author intends to reveal the events according to her personal account. As a matter of fact, the author ends up utilizing a journalistic viewpoint to life by utilizing every conversation and experience as research. Her work emerges as intimate, revealing plus moving all of which bring out a careful and balanced viewpoint that understands the dual realities that are found in the region. On the other hand, she desires a one-eyed perspective seeing the network of lies as well as layers of obstacles that continue to distort both sides.
Mingling in Israeli interiors, but working for a living in the disputed West Bank while creating deep ties with the Palestinians she lives with. As a result, she finds herself stuck between two societies moving from one to the other. She heard from one side about panic, rage and hate while encountering things the same things but as an outsider. She ends up torn between these two societies. The upshot is a gripping account of the inexorable realities of the clash, untainted by schema. The cordial roots of the clash unfold in the author’s work in stories like that of Ghassan (Palestinian) whose wife plus child live in Jerusalem, whilst he is declined access into the metropolis. Altogether, the author’s approach brings out the true picture of the events.
The work concludes by saying that “it does not help” to be angry in relation to “the situation” (Williams 46). As a matter of fact, this phrase is a paragraph and it is vital. The author captures the core of the conflict; the antagonism that occurs from the loss. Williams’ work ingeniously points out that if rage starts to build from the stories in our hearts irrespective of ethnic orientation, picture the hatred that explodes on more than what is written, but on children. The book has many strengths and weaknesses. One of its strength is the fact that is that it tries to give the true account of what happened. In essence, the author portrays her experiences in Jerusalem and the way she thinks about them. She succeeds to force her readers through an expressive checkpoint that warns them, urges them, to read unrestrained by emotion.
In addition, she manages to concentrate of on the human side of the two clashing sides. This is quite important considering her closeness to the political side to the political situation. Without a doubt, the book is interesting, given that the author skillfully merges diff...