A Woman in J
erusalem, by A.B. Yehoshua [translated from the Hebrew by Hillel Halkin]
This is a deceptively simple story that is filled with symbolic echoes. A woman — Yulia Ragayev, a Russian expatriate — is the victim of a suicide bombing in Jerusalem. The company who employed her is accused of inhumanity, and an unnamed human resource manager is assigned the task of resolving the situation.
The resource manager becomes obsessed with Yulia’s identity; her individuality, the meager possessions in her home, and her social relations. He is irrevocably changed by his investigative interaction with the dead woman and those who knew her.
An ominous mood of Jerusalem is portrayed, as is its humanity and compassion.
The resource manager goes on an epic journey; the reader is taken along and — if receptive — is also changed.
An excellent novel: I plan to re-read this book in a few years; I think I’ll enjoy it even more the second time.
Recommended.
db johnston
almost falling 