I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
“Together They Overcame” is a sweet love story between Rosalind, an eighteen year old from South Africa, and Eyal, an Israeli soldier.
Rosalind travels from her home in Johannesburg, South Africa to Israel to work and study nursing in a hospital. This is where she meets Eyal, who is recovering from a gun shot wound. As Eyal commences courting Rosalind, it becomes apparent that they are complete opposites from different worlds. She, the daughter of a Jewish father from England and a Catholic mother from Germany, lead a life of privilege in Johannesburg. Eyal, by contrast, is the eldest son of hard working Jewish farmers.
The young couple fall in love and get married.
Their differences, while ever present, are not their main obstacle. Eyal’s mother, Sarah, refuses to accept Rosalind into the family because, since her mother is Catholic, she is not considered to be Jewish. She further drives home the need to remember the Holocaust and the need to marry within the Jewish faith. We soon discover that Sarah is an egotistical, self-centered woman who is nothing more than jealous of her son’s beautiful young wife. She goes to extremes to drive a wedge between them and make their lives miserable. This proves to be a difficult hurdle for Rosalind because of her youth, inexperience and naivete. Eyal, caught between the love for his wife and mother, struggles with guilt and loyalty.
Ms. Aharoni aptly describes post WWII life in Israel. Her descriptions of historical sights and character development draws the reader in transporting them into another world. The sexual scenes are loving and tastefully done. I found it hard to put down the book. My only lament is that it ended too soon.
isabel pietri 