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    A Bottle in the Gaza Sea
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    A Bottle in the Gaza Sea
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    A Bottle in the Gaza Sea
    Ebook136 pages1 hour

    A Bottle in the Gaza Sea

    By Valerie Zenatti

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A seventeen-year-old from Jerusalem, Tal Levine comes from a family that always believed peace would come to the Middle East. She cried tears of joy when President Clinton and Yitzhak Rabin shook hands with Yasser Arafat in 1993-a moment of hope that would stay with her forever. But when a terrorist explosion kills a young woman at a café in Jerusalem, something changes for Tal. One day she writes a letter, puts it in a bottle, and sends it to Gaza-to the other side-beginning a correspondence with a young Palestinian man that will ultimately open their eyes to each other's lives and hearts.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateJul 15, 2009
    ISBN9781599905051
    Unavailable
    A Bottle in the Gaza Sea
    Author

    Valerie Zenatti

    Valerie Zenatti was born in Nice, France on April Fool's Day in 1970. When she was thirteen, her family moved to Israel. Her experiences with the Israeli Defense Forces were chronicled in her first book When I Was a Soldier. She currently lives with her two children in Paris, where she is a Hebrew translator.

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    Reviews for A Bottle in the Gaza Sea

    4/5

    73 ratings42 reviews

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    • 4/5
      As a method of self-defense against increasing Israeli-Palestinian violence, feisty 17-year-old Israeli Tal writes a note and sticks it in a bottle. She asks her brother to throw the bottle in the Gaza sea, with hopes that she’ll meet a Palestinian girl and somehow put a personality to the people she knows must be behind the fence. What she gets is 20-year-old Naim, a scathingly sarcastic, but nice-under-the-surface Palestinian man. The book is a series of emails between the two, and as their understanding of each other grows, so does their affection for one another. This was a really sweet book. It was silly, as are all teenage romances, but actually believable (if you have faith in coincidence). I was surprised while reading because I’d originally thought the author was Israeli, writing for Israeli teens—but the book is written by a French woman who lived in Israel when she was younger. The target audience is therefore teens who do not necessarily know all the background in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This is something I appreciated, because I felt like I understood what they were talking about when they mentioned political and historical events. This is a quick, enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Rather (too) short YA-novel about the difference between growing up in Israel and growing up in the Gaza Strip - or more aptly, about the similarities. The two narrators initially think they have nothing in common, but because both are damaged by the strife between their peoples - although in different ways - they grow closer and become friends, even though they have never met. It's a well-written shoe-on-the-other-foot story, and although I found the characters slightly unbelievable (or perhaps just not acting like their purported ages), it was still worth a read. I especially appreciated how both sides got their "say" without condemnation - any blame is worked out between the characters in their communication, which emphasizes the story's overall message of hope.
    • 2/5
      Seventeen-year-old Tal Levine writes a letter in a bottle expressing her frustrations with the turbulence of the Israelis and Palestinians. She hopes for a Palestinian girl to find the letter and to correspond with her by e-mail. Instead a 20-year-old Palestinian man named Naim finds her bottle on the beach. His correspondence is at first rude and abrupt but he eventually opens up to the more emotional Tal. The two share the same frustrations and each feels they can only share their private thoughts with the other. I found their voices overly dramatic and emotional but that can be typical of passionate-feeling teens. Still the prose and flow of their emails came off as far more articulate than you would expect. Naim's final e-mail was somewhat abrupt and confusing--is he talking about Tal Levine? But a clarifying clue lies on page 85. Useful for readers wishing to understand the Middle East conflict.
    • 5/5
      Far removed from the conflict in the Middle East it is easy to live day by day not thinking of the dangerous situation that mothers, fathers, children and grandparents live through daily in many places on the other side of the ocean. It is easy to forget the freedoms women don't have, the childless babies and the violence. However in my drive to feel more, to know more and keep all peoples close to me. I believe education difies prejudice and so I read on.A Bottle in the Gaza Sea is a book of two hopefuls in a sea of killing, prejudice, and a tradition of violence between the Palestinians and the jews, from Jerusalem and the Gaza strip. Tal, a teen from Jerusalem wills to find peace, and longs for a glint of hope, of life from the other side. She puts a letter in a bottle and asks her brother, who is a soldier to put it in the Gaza Sea. Naim, is what comes of it, a bright Palestinian teen topped off with sarcasm. They email back and forth. Facades are broken down, lies made to truths, and through their friendship hope comes to them and those around them.I genuinely enjoyed reading A Bottle in the Gaza Sea, Zenatti did an excellent job with the witing and the content of the book. The characters are fully believable, lovable and unforgettable. I hesitate to mention that this is designed as a young adult read, and that because of that you would steer clear, feeling that maturity and wisdom would most likely be lacking. I can promise you that those assumptions are wrong. The young Tal and her Gaza friend, Naim are young in age, but it is easy to be captivated by them, as they both portray the losses of their peoples at the hands of each others people. I was involved, interested and Zenatti spoke to me. I highly recommend this book, it gives all the emotion without the descriptions of blood and guts ( but does not hide that that is everywhere). A Bottle in the Gaza Sea is a realistic hope for peace, a dream of a future life of freedom, no matter how many generations the war has already gone on for.Quotes: The two of us don't have much luck: we were born in the twentieth century- the bloodiest century in history, as Rosebush reminded us yet again yesterday.: Two world wars, the Soviet empire dominating part of the world +conflicts pretty much all over the place with increasingly sophisticated weapons= hundreds of millions of deaths. 'It's just maths,' he added with an almost sadistic smile (p. 34). 'We choose none of the things that determine out lives: not the way we look or where we're born or our parents. None of them. We just have to cope with all the things we haven't chosen and which make us who we are.' My father told me that last year, when I was having trouble with just being me (p. 132).
    • 4/5
      Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is author Jessica Day George’s take on the fairy story East of the Sun, West of the Moon. The author stays very close to the original story and adds more detail and depth to her version. As this was one of my all time favorite stories when I was a child, I was ready to fall under it’s spell once again. Jessica Day George has previously used her talents to bring other fairy stories to life so I knew that she would do the original justice. I liked how she developed the story and used Nordic touches that gave this version a strong sense of place. The heroine who has the ability to speak to animals was likeable and her pet wolf, Rollo, who supplied much of the humor and acted as a sounding board for the main character, was an excellent addition.My only quibble is that I had read East by Edith Pattou fairly recently and at first I found these two stories so similar that it was difficult to immerse myself into this story. But as I read ever deeper into this adaptation, the differences started to take over and obscure the similarities. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is a lyrical retelling that didn’t really break any new ground but was an enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Nice! I was confusing it, at first, with [The Bear and the Nightingale] - not totally dissimilar start, with the unliked girl child, and a northern setting (and the long winter, for that matter). This one's better, though. Richer story, to me, and stronger characters. My only question is whether Cupid and Psyche is a Scandinavian myth or the author imported it for this book... It's not _a_ fairy-tale retelling, it's about a dozen fairy tales plus some myths. The lass's journey north and traveling with the winds is amazing. Trolls and ice-bears and wow. And a full happy ending, for more than just the lass - even the trolls are probably better off (some of them think so, anyway). Worth reading, worth rereading. I'm getting drawn in to a Jessica Day George binge again...
    • 3/5
      Enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      A retelling of east of the sun, west of the moon, where a girl must travel to the ends of the earth to rescue a prince from a troll's enchantment.
    • 4/5
      Reminiscient of a fairy tale, the Norwegian setting adds a new twist this genre with a flair many readers will enjoy. Pika, though not named by her mother and not protected from the trolls, gains a name, the ability to understand animals, and an adventure from the white reindeer. Her wish sets forth a set of trials that she must endure to save her older brother's anguish and her own life. She is whisked away to a faraway land by a polar bear who appears and asks her to live in a castle for a year and a day. So begins her trials and the fate of her family.
    • 5/5
      This is my favorite of the books I've read from Jessica Day George. Such a wonderful retelling of one of the greatest fairy tales! I loved it and would highly recommend it to anyone!
    • 5/5
      I loved this story, but I'm a sucker for old world fairytales!
    • 3/5
      Nordic tale retold in interesting way. It teases you to read on and find out what will happen next...
      I was thinking about giving it a 4 star rating, but settled for 3 in the end because enchanted prince snores. ;)
    • 2/5
      A re-telling of the Nordic story of the girl who must travel east of the sun and west of the moon to rescue her prince from the troll princess and queen sadly lacks in lyrical language or page-turning plot. I only stayed with it because I am a sucker for the story!
    • 4/5
      good. well written, fun, and still maintains the integrity of the myth. since this is one of my favorite myths I had some trepidation. I was not disappointed. there were some interesting twists, such as rollo and the servants, but they just made the story unique. I quite enjoyed reading this one.
    • 3/5
      Not terrible, but rather childish. Closer to middle grade than young adult. I like fairy tale re-tellings, and as far as those go, this was decent but nothing special.
    • 5/5
      In her retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, Jessica Day George adds backstory and details that round out and complete the tale, incorporating a rich knowledge of Norwegian folklore. The Lass, the youngest of nine children in a poor family, in a winter that has lasted for a hundred years, gets the chance to gain good fortune for her family, if she will leave with a great polar bear and live with him for a year. He takes her, and her pet wolf, to an ice castle, where she tries to discover the nature of the bear's enchantment. In the end her curiosity gets them in trouble, and she must travel East of the sun, and West of the moon, to rescue her bear. This is a great book for those who would like their fairy tales to be full-length books.
    • 4/5
      George, Jessica DaySun and Moon, Ice and Snow2009. 352pp. $9.99 pbk. Bloomsbury. 978-1-5999-0328-6. Grades 7-12.The lass is the youngest of nine children, and so little wanted that her mother never bothered to name her. But the lass has a gift; she can speak to animals, and has a wolf pup for a companion. One day, a bear arrives at her front door, asking her to live with him for one year. The lass agrees, and the bear takes her away to his palace of ice. All the lass's needs are provided for, but the lass is curious about the castle and who built it, and her exploration has dire consequences for the others living in the castle. This retelling of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" has an active, spunky heroine who is, unusually, never terribly upset by the crueler members of her family even before the bear arrives. The lass drives the plot from beginning to end, and her ability to talk to animals is used to good effect in explaining how she can talk to the bear and to other creatures that live at the castle. Recommended for fans of high fantasy fairy tale retellings.
    • 5/5
      Delightful take on a Norwegian folktale. A lass must live a year with a bear in an ice castle in order to bring her family riches. If she can not, the bear must marry a troll. This well-written book was bittersweet and delightful. A striking book which highlights lass's love and ingenuity. A true gem. I'm passing it on to someone who will enjoy it too, hopefully.
    • 5/5
      This was a great story, and a very beautiful re-telling of the original tell of beauty and the beast. I loved the high spirited and brave heroine, and this was much better the any disney version. I loved it all, I do wish there had been more of the interaction between her and her hero in the story, but i understand the need to express the other parts of the story. I would re read this book, which tells me it a great book.
    • 3/5
      I got this book because of goodreads recommend feature. I like faerytale retellings and the premise of a girl whose mom didn't name her sounded promising. My late gramps used to delight us with stories about a troll who lived underneath his bridge. We believed him for years.[He also had a different goat story about the birthday goat. I wonder why he never blamed the troll for getting the birthday goat. I guess after he made our older brother cry after giving him a cornbread birthday cake he didn't have the stomach for it.]The book was too long for a simple girl tricks trolls with cunning story but too rushed for what transpired in the first half of this book.The book was split up into four parts. The first two just didn't fit with the last two. I preferred the first half with her brother and the rest of her family. Nothing ever happens to her family after they get riches from the troll queen.The lass had more chemistry with her brother Hans Peter and her faithful wolf sidekick Rollo than she did with the bear/prince.I kept expecting the warning about not telling her new name to come up but it never did. Rollo was my favourite part of the book. If he'd died I'd have given this book one star.
    • 4/5
      As far as retellings of fairy tales go, particularly "East o'Sun, West o'Moon," it is an excellent book. However,for me, it fell a little flat in the middle. That part, in every version I've read, has lost my interest. Nothing is really happening. People keep getting offed, and the Lass, inevitably, looks at the Prince, thus setting in motion that long, long trip to the land that lies east of the sun and west of the moon. Why couldn't they ever just wait? And why did the girls always have to sleep next to a guy for a year? Who made up those rules? As you can see, my main arguments are with the original tale. Though the Lass and the Prince's relationship did seem off to me. I was not nearly as engaged in the fates of these characters as I was in Dragon Slippers or Dragon Flight.Overall, I liked the story, but I probably would not read it again. If you like fairytales, though, you will definitely want to read this book.
    • 4/5
      Another good fairy tale retelling by Jessica Day George. And my favorite fairy tale too!
    • 4/5
      Retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon-- but this time both the coveted third son trope and the uniqueness of our heroine are inverted. Compare to Edith Pattou's East. Suitable for younger readers.
    • 3/5
      Found this one a bit odd due to the fact that nearly the entire book the main character is merely referred to as 'the lass', and her name is only revealed near the very end. All in all, I quite liked this version. The main character was strong, stubborn and fairly believable, and I liked how she had a companion that stayed with her the entire story. The character of Rollo was quite lovable too and made a nice addition to the story. The only thing that bugged me was that it was a very similar version to "East" by Edith Pattou. Close enough that at times I was confused if I had already read this book. (Although, if I recall, East had a lot of weaving in it, and this book did not, and had Rollo instead) All in all I did prefer this version to 'East', however. The character seemed a bit deeper, and more likable. Nicely done all in all.
    • 3/5
      Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow tells the tale of the lass, an unwanted and unnamed fourth daughter who has the opporunity to leave her miserable life behind and when a strange polar bear offers her an enticing deal: if she comes with him as his companion, he will give her family riches. The bear takes the lass to a palace made of glass, filled with strange and magical creatures -and secrets.The lass soon finds that the palace isn't what it seems, nor is the strange man who appears in her room every night. As she edges closer to the truth, the perils of her unconventional deal become more apparent.Based on the Nordic myth "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" and steeped in Nordic culture, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow explores a magical, fairy tale world with mystery and a dash of romance. However, something about Sun and Moon just didn't intrigue me as much as George's other novels. Perhaps it was the very different subject, the Norse-based world, the constant discussion of ice and snow (okay, I hate cold) or the fact that this novel re-told a less well-known fairy tale -plus there aren't any princesses. Or it could be absolutely none of these things, but something about Sun and Moon wasn't as enchanting or magical as Princess of the Midnight Ball or Princess of Glass.That said, it's not a bad book. Sun and Moon is an interesting fairy tale retelling that draws on Norse tradition to paint a unique backdrop of a lesser known fairy tale. The characters, unfortunately, are a little hazy in the book, even the lass, who seems to be sleepwalking through most of the novel between plot points purely for the purposes of advancing the plot and without any real motivation for herself. I don't feel like there's much of a romance between the lass and the polar bear, only that the lass wants to do something with her life.A little disappointing after reading George's other novels, Sun and Moon is a decent read that's worth time, but not great.
    • 1/5
      The story in this book is based upon a Norwegian fairy tale called “East of the Sun, West of the Moon”. This was also the reason I decided to read it, since I love fairy tales and have always wondered how it would be if someone rewrote one of them in a more modern way without all the definite rules of fairy tales. Oh, how I was disappointed. We have the standard components of a fairy tale, the lovely heroine, her stupid family (some of them at least), helpers, a polar bear, magic, trolls, snow and lots and lots of gold. The heroine is the youngest daughter of a large family. She has no name, because her mother wanted a son and therefore could not bother naming her, her family therefore just called her Pika (which means girl or “the girl”, but is rarely used and rather ridiculous as a nickname in my opinion) A great, white bear persuades her to live with him in a lovely castle, and in return her family will become rich. It would not be a fairy tale if there was no evil lurking under the surface, and so is the case also in this one. I will not reveal too much of the plot, since fairy tales are best discovered by reading it yourself or being read to instead of having it explained. Where is the magic in that?I had such high hopes for this book. A foreign author choosing to write a book based on a Norwegian fairy tale and one of my favourites too. But maybe that is why I was so disappointed by it. I knew the tale too well, and everything seemed strange, silly and at times completely ridiculous to me. The author used names not typically for Norwegian fairy tales, she made it sound like everybody was eating “lefse” all the time, which is actually cake. Who has a diet consisting mostly of cake? Not a poor woodcutter’s family, that is for sure. Maybe it is just me; maybe it is more exotic for someone not that familiar with this tale or Norwegian culture. I do not know. I just pray you will read the original fairy tale before you read this book! The best part of the book was the author’s thank you note on page 5: “For my parents: You gave me life, you gave me love, you gave me a plane ticket to Norway. Thank you.”
    • 4/5
      This is the second book I have read by Jessica Day George. I have to say that I am a fan. I love her writing style. Her books are so easy to read and very entertaining. This book is a fairy tale based on Norwegian folk tales. It reminded my of Beauty and the Beast meets Cupid and Psyche meets some other fairy tale I have long forgotten. It’s full of trolls, a white reindeer, a magical white bear, and a nameless girl called lass. The story is full of adventure, hardships, love and loss. If you haven’t read any book by Jessica Day George, I recommend them to you. The ones I have read have been fantastic.
    • 4/5
      A retelling of east of the sun, west of the moon, where a girl must travel to the ends of the earth to rescue a prince from a troll's enchantment.
    • 3/5
      It was a nice teen romance, particularly if one likes fantasy or mythology. It was surprisingly gently written. It was interesting that the violence of the trolls occurred indirectly or out of sight of the main character, while the violence of the people occurred in front of her. That was a neat touch, possibly unintentional. The author had fun weaving several myths and fantasy stories together, mainly Cupid and Psyche, though it was clear that there were Nordic influences as well.
    • 4/5
      A fun adaptation of the fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon." I would have liked a longer epilogue, though.