#AmReading – City of Secrets

City of Secrets by Stewart O’Nan (2016) – Following World War II, thousands of Jews fled to Palestine. Brand’s family was killed in Latvia, and he receives a new life through the growing underground in the land they call Eretz Israel. There the fight between the underground and the British authorities draws him in, sometimes against his will.

I became a huge Stewart O’Nan fan after reading his novel “Emily, Alone”. He brings great skill to the creation of his characters and the world they inhabit. His style is intimate, drawing you into the feel time and place through careful attention to important details. Here, it’s things like the dust that gathers on Brand’s car, and the careful polishing he uses to maintain the look of the vehicle. The scene where Brand celebrates Pesach surrounded only by memories of family now dead is the perfect example of O’Nan’s mastery of storytelling. With events cutting him off from the few people he knows in Palestine, he sets a place for Elijah and goes through the traditions. Traditions he isn’t sure he believes in any more, but draws comfort from their familiarity. It is a transitional moment for the character, and a scene that moved me deeply.

At the same time, I came away a little disappointed in the book. The setting is the time when the Haganah, Irgun and Stern Gang battled the authorities of the Palestinian Mandate in an attempt to restore a Jewish homeland. It feels like the foundation for a thriller, but O’Nan’s style doesn’t work for me in that genre. I can’t say with certainty that he was trying for that category. The story involves several secret operations, including kidnappings, the murder of a suspected traitor and the bombing of the King David Hotel. I kept feeling that this was set to go into “action mode” at any moment. Instead, the author continues his careful, patient storytelling about a man caught in the swirls at the edge of history. Like most of us, he is not at the center of great events. They happen around him, often at a distance, occasionally brushing close. Brand arrives with deep cracks in his psyche after surviving the camps. What happens in Palestine will finish the job of breaking him, at which point his healing may begin.

My bet is that my disappointment is due to my projections on what the story is/should be. With a little distance, I find more and more to like about this book. O’Nan delivers another perfect gem here. Expect nothing and be rewarded with so much.

Rating – **** Recommended