Tamar lives with her husband and three children in Tel Aviv, 1967. Nearly 20 years after Israel reoccupied the territory, the strain between Jews and Muslims is more intense than ever. And when Tamar’s sister-in-law Hadas is found murdered, her husband Samir moves the family to America. While the move is supposed to be temporary, Tamar struggles to adjust to live in a new country while staying true to her roots. And when her daughter begins a relationship with her neighbor, Tamar takes matters into her own hands to prevent history from repeating itself. The Anatomy of Exile by Zeeva Bukai is a historical fiction novel that explores how one multicultural family endures growth and acceptance due to forces outside of their control.
Book
Salim and Hadas come from an Jewish Arab family, while Tamar is an Israeli Jew. Relationships between Arabs and Jews were extremely taboo – leading Hadas to hide her relationship with a Palestinian. The relationship ends in tragedy, setting the family’s journey into motion in The Anatomy of Exile.
Salim promises they will move back home after five years in America. Soon a Palestinian family moves into the complex, and Tamar’s oldest daughter Ruby begins a romantic relationship with the youngest son, Faisal. Fearing that the love between the two will lead to further tragedy, Tamar takes matters into her own hands to keep them apart – despite her husband and even Faisal’s parents advising against her interference. Add to that the lasting guilt she feels from keeping life-changing secrets from her family. Soon she learns that the damage she single-handedly causes might turn out to be worse than her fears.
Review
Bukai showcases her talent for bringing real stories to life in The Anatomy of Exile. Tamar’s journey is one of fear, loss, grief, helplessness, love, and longing. The author demonstrates these components through both her characters and plot. Readers should be warned that the story includes potential trigger warnings, such as murder, war, violence, infidelity, and civil unrest.
While a moving and powerful story, it contained some moments in Tamar’s character arc that weren’t necessary, in my opinion. Even so, lovers of historical fiction, especially one centered around a long-standing territorial conflict, will undoubtedly enjoy this one.
