´If the entire planet was a face, the settlements were the brow and Jerusalem was the eye. Or, if the entire planet was an eye, the settlements were the lid and Jerusalem was the pupil´.
Set in the ´wild, wild West Bank´, Welcome to Heavenly Heights by Risa Miller doesn´t innovate too much in terms of choice of setting and narrative: a group of English-speaking (Anglos), mostly non-sabras (not born in Israel) settlers living the Zionist dream. The dream may have different meanings as everyone´s dream is different: it can be cheap accommodation, the excitement of living among likeminded religious people, the deep belief that Jewish history is made. After a while, some of them might decide to return to their other country of milk-and-honey, America, because either they are having enough of ordering their favorite foods from their former homes or it is becoming too life threatening, or bureaucracy won them over. They are successful, religious practicant Jews - converts or from non-religious families too - that want to offer their children a meaningful life in Eretz, The Country.
I had this book on my Jewish reading radar for a long time for two reasons: it is written by a religious woman, the first recipient that won a PEN award, and it covers a topic that it is not properly addressed from the literary point of view. The books I´ve read until now about everyday life in the settlements were interesting, ironic, challenging intellectually and from the point of view of the recent Jewish history, still do not reflect properly the life that I had the chance to know myself. From this point of view, it seems that I still have to wait until either that novel is written. Maybe there are already quality books in Hebrew published already so need to do some intensive search in this direction.
As for the writing qualities, Welcome to the Heavenly Heights (the name of the settlement in West Bank) has noticeable qualities. The slow paced personal stories - set to take place following the cycle of the Jewish holidays - with Purim the best represented - of the small group of settlers are flowing beautifully, but unfortunatelly do not go beyond the simple creative writing setting. The entire book is like a monologue on multiple voices that connects because it is part of the novel setting, but without a literary strength or a strong narrative voice. Each and every piece of the puzzle is beautiful, but once put all together, the overall picture is bland.
Conclusion: Still looking for that beautiful settler novel...
Rating: 2.5 stars
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