Exile: a novel (84 page)

Several Americans helped me shape the characters of Harold and Carole Shorr. Critical were the observations of the daughters of Holocaust survivors: Nadine Greenfield Binstock, Arlene Breyer, Karen Chinka, Sally Cohen, Esther Finder, Lillian Fox, Janice Friebaum, Jenette Friedman, Suzanne Jacobs, Alys Myers, Michele Rivers, Marsha Rosenberg, and Ruth Shevlin. David Kahan, a survivor of the Holocaust, was generous and unflinching in relating his experiences. And my partner, Dr. Nancy Clair, enriched the narrative by suggesting that it address the Holocaust and its impact; read every chapter as I wrote it; and accompanied me to Israel and the West Bank, where her experiences as an international educational consultant made her an invaluable observer.

I also did a lot of reading, including
Occupied Voices
by Wendy Pearlman;
A History of Israel
by Howard Sachar;
The Missing Peace
by Dennis Ross;
Cain’s Field
by Matt Rees;
Prisoner 83571
by Samuel Don;
I Saw Ramallah
by Mourid Barghouti;
The Iron Wall
by Avi Shlaim; and articles and writings by Hillel Halkin, Matt Leavitt, Michael Eisenstadt, Neri Zilber, Patrick Clawson, Akiva Eldar, James Bennett, Erskine Childers, Ellen Siegel, Nabil Ahmed, John Kifner, Jill Drew, Jim Zogby, and Benny Morris. I also viewed the following documentaries:
The Accused
by the BBC;
Children of Shatila
by Mai Masri;
Jenin, Jenin;
and a PBS segment on right-wing Israeli settlers.

The manuscript itself benefited from the advice of several discerning readers: my assistant, Alison Porter Thomas, who did her best work ever in commenting in detail on every page; Fred Hill, my wonderful agent, who encouraged me from the beginning; and John Sterling, president and publisher of Henry Holt, who believed in the idea, helped me shape the
novel, and shared my belief that popular fiction can both entertain and enlighten—even when it addresses the hardest subjects.

Finally, there are Alan Dershowitz and Jim Zogby, to whom this book is dedicated. As he has with several other novels, Alan gave me critical advice at an early juncture, helping me frame the extensive research that followed, as well as recommending other experts to interview. Equally important, Alan has conveyed his deep concern for Israel and its future in numerous conversations over the years, and I read—and reread—his incisive book
The Case for Israel
in order to ground myself in the essence of the controversies surrounding Israel and the Palestinians. Without Alan’s passion and generosity, I doubt I would have been as receptive to Jim Zogby’s challenge “Why don’t you tackle the Israeli-Palestinian dilemma?” —or, perhaps, have undertaken this book at all.

Dr. Jim Zogby is, of course, the head of the Arab-American Institute, and a gifted advocate for better understanding of Arab-Americans and, more broadly, the diverse peoples of the Middle East. Jim spent many hours sharing his thoughts in the most patient and generous way I could wish; connecting me with those, in the United States and on the West Bank, whose advice would enable me to write this book the way I did; and, finally, imparting his advice on the manuscript itself. I hope the result does justice to both Alan and Jim in the only way I can—by telling people’s stories, the better to impart the common humanity of the Jews and Arabs caught in this tragic conflict, as well as the historic, experiential, religious, and psychological barriers that divide them. Certainly, it has been a privilege to try.

R
ichard
N
orth
P
atterson

September 1, 2006

R
ichard
N
orth
P
atterson
is the author of thirteen previous critically acclaimed novels, including nine consecutive international bestsellers. Formerly a trial lawyer, Patterson was the SEC’s liaison to the Watergate special prosecutor, has served on the boards of several Washington advocacy groups dealing with gun violence, political reform, and women’s rights, and is currently the chairman of Common Cause, the grassroots citizens’ lobby. He lives with his partner, Dr. Nancy Clair, in San Francisco and on Martha’s Vineyard.