About the Night

By: Anat Talshir, Evan Fallenberg - translator

Narrated by: Mel Foster

Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

On a hot summer day in 1947, on a grandstand overlooking Jerusalem, Elias and Lila fall deeply, irrevocably in love.

Tragically, they come from two different worlds. Elias is a Christian Arab living on the eastern side of the newly divided city, and Lila is a Jew living on the western side. A growing conflict between their cultures casts a heavy shadow over the region and their burgeoning relationship. Between them lie not only a wall of stone and barbed wire but also the bitter enmity of two nations at war.

Told in the voice of Elias as he looks back upon the long years of his life, About the Night is a timely story of how hope can nourish us, loss can devastate us, and love can carry us beyond the boundaries that hold human beings apart.

©2010 Anat Talshir (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Translation © 2016 by Evan Fallenberg.

Take this journey!

This was such a beautiful story. Without being overly sentimental, it was a poetic statement of how love endures the test of time. And how war kills more than "just" the dead.

The writing was exceptional and beautiful. As for narration, the voice Mr. Foster chose for Elias was a little stiff, and overdubs were poor in that they were mismatched, but I'd still listen to this wonderful novel all over again.

Very Entertaining Boook

The story in this book is powerful and compelling. I enjoyed every minute of it. The writer did an outstanding job. The characters were also very well done. Overall a very entertaining book to listen to.

Dialog was painful

The story was OK. The narrator had a nice voice when reading the narration, but the dialog was painful to listen to. Even at their most intimate moments, the dialog of the two main characters sounded like oration. I was reminded of Dwight Schrute in the episode Dwight’s Speech. I found myself cringing or laughing at times I shouldn’t have been.

Lovely Story

I enjoyed the story very much, and the person reading did well on his part. However, I would recommend reading the book over listening because sometimes the timelines were difficult to follow and the audio editing was jarring.

SAD

Any additional comments?

This is a super sad love story in my opinion. It makes you have lots of feelings, but it's mostly feeling sorry for the couple. They are in love, but Israel is split into Jewish and Arab sections. Then, it's at war. Their not being allowed together goes on for years and years and years. How terrible to live where you aren't allowed to be with the one you love. The storyline goes from current to past. In the current, the man is in the hospital possibly dying, and the woman is dead. It goes back to all they went through. Insert cry emoji. It's a good story. It made me think.

Outstanding book!

This was not a normal book that I would choose, however I am very glad that I got it as a free choice. I was entirely captivated by the story. It was thrilling and sad as well. I felt like I could relate as my love and I were separated by circumstance as well. After a number of years we found each other again and knew that we had to change our lives to be together. We have now been together for 16 years and married for 15 years and are very happy. I highly recommend this book.

Needs a good editor

The underlying history of Jerusalem is the best part of this novel. The love story drivelled on and might have remained compelling if 2/3rds of it was edited out - we got she was the love of his life in the first few chapters

TOO LOOOOOONNNGG!

Spoiler: Okay story but the I hated how they basically discounted the wife's feelings as long as they were happy. Interesting how the shabby Arab culture treats women was discussed even if they are "Christian ".

Loved it!

Heartbreaking story about a forbidden love during war. Lila, a Jew, and Elias, an Arab, fall in love but are kept apart by religion, culture, and war. Not only is this story about love between a man and a woman, but it’s also about the love, or lack there of, between a child and his/her parents and of life and hardships during wartime as well. A must read!

About The Night

I loved this translated story set in the middle east, where it was forbidden for these two races of people to have a relationship. War breaks out and just when you think all is lost, there is hope.

I reccomend this novel.
The narrator was excellent.