The Red Balcony A Novel
The Red Balcony A Novel by Jonathan Wilson, published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on February 21, 2023, is a historical fiction piece that delves into the complexities of identity and justice in British Mandatory Palestine. Set in 1933, the narrative follows Ivor Castle, a Jewish Oxford graduate, who becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder trial involving Haim Arlosoroff, a prominent figure in the Jewish community. As Ivor navigates the intricacies of the case, he grapples with personal and political dilemmas that reflect the tensions of the time.
Readers will find a rich exploration of themes such as love, loyalty, and the impact of colonial rule, as Ivor’s journey intertwines with that of Tsiona, an artist who may hold crucial insights into the murder. The novel presents a vivid portrayal of the historical context, capturing the landscape and the conflicting agendas of Jews, Arabs, and the British. With 272 pages, this edition offers a detailed narrative that immerses readers in the complexities of a foundational moment in Israeli history, blending elements of thrillers and legal drama.
Official synopsis Publisher
Based on actual events, a gripping novel of sex, love, history and justice in the tinderbox of British Mandatory Palestine, by the acclaimed author of A Palestine Affair
“The story of what is arguably Israel’s foundational murder trial—a tale of multiple identities and loyalties.” —Joshua Cohen, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of The Netanyahus
“Pleases on several levels: as an adventure tale, a star-crossed romance and a detailed period piece.” —The Wall Street Journal
It’s 1933, and Ivor Castle, Oxford-educated and Jewish, arrives in Palestine to take up a position as assistant to the defense counsel in the trial of the two men accused of murdering Haim Arlosoroff, a leader of the Jewish community in Palestine whose efforts to get Jews out of Hitler’s Germany and into Palestine may have been controversial enough to get him killed.
While preparing for the trial, Ivor, an innocent to the politics of the case, falls into bed and deeply in love with Tsiona, a free-spirited artist who happened to sketch the accused men in a Jerusalem café on the night of the murder and may be a key witness. As Ivor learns the hard way about the violence simmering just beneath the surface of British colonial rule, Jonathan Wilson dazzles with his mastery of the sun-drenched landscape and the subtleties of the warring agendas among the Jews, Arabs, and British.
And as he travels between the crime scene in Tel Aviv and the mazelike streets of Jerusalem, between the mounting mysteries surrounding this notorious case and clandestine lovemaking in Tsiona’s studio, Ivor must discover where his heart lies: whether he cares more for the law or the truth, whether he is more an Englishman or a Jew, and where and with whom he truly belongs.
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