An Improbable Friendship

July 27, 2015
If it hadn’t actually occurred, the friendship between Ruth Dayan (born 1917), the first wife of Israeli politician Moshe Dayan, and Raymonda Tawil (born 1940), the mother-in-law of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, would seem not merely improbable but impossible. This joint biography from David (coauthor of Once Upon a Country) traces the women’s lives prior to 1970, the year of their meeting, and the collaboration that followed, one peppered with “standard quarrels” but forged by a mutual commitment to peace. In addition to noting the preeminence of politics in Dayan and Tawil’s lives, David opens up their personal lives: their childhoods, their children, their travails (Dayan’s divorce, Tawil’s house arrest), and their enterprises (Dayan’s Maskit, a craft and design collective employing immigrant women; Tawil’s news agency). David, who wrote the book at the women’s request, had access to Dayan’s many cassette tapes and letters and to Tawil’s diary, along with the many interviews he’s conducted with them since 2009. At times, the biography has an “as told by” tone; in other sections, a novelistic tone creeps in, obscuring the difference between recreated conversation and recorded interviews. Some readers may find the admiring tone overly lacking in objectivity and critical distance, but David has succeeded in creating a vivid portrait of two very feisty women. 20 b&w photos.

October 1, 2015

The 1940s are dominated in the global memory by one major event: World War II. Yet during that same period, another struggle was coming to a head. David (coauthor, Once upon a Country) recounts the history of two families on opposite sides of the Israel/Palestine conflict and illustrates that while emotions run high, unbreakable bonds of friendship and love can be formed. Ruth Dayan was a young woman married to a fierce Jewish fighter; Raymonda Tawil was the daughter of a wealthy Arab dignitary. Both women's lives were changed when revolution came to their homes, and with the tantalizing pacing of a thriller and the unaffected emotion of a memoir, David draws out the family history and eventual friendship of the women whose loyalties fall on opposite sides of the conflict. The result illuminates the realities of being a human being in a struggle between cultures. This heartfelt book captures the turmoil of the Ruth's and Raymonda's interactions with their families, their nations, and with each other--but it also shows their strength, vitality, and capacity for love. VERDICT Whether one has an interest in Middle Eastern politics, a solid human interest story, or a general appreciation of humanity, this book will hold the attention of its audience. An emotional and inquisitive read that covers global and personal history with panache and passion.--Kathleen Dupre, Edmond, OK

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