House of Windows by Adina Hoffman

I read House of Windows: Portraits From a Jerusalem Neighborhood by Adina Hoffman for a review for Hadassah Magazine and an AP news-feature. I found Hoffman's work at times slow but overall refreshing. I was impressed by her own objectivity in relating the reasons behind the conflicts between the Israelis and the Arabs of Jerusalem. Her book did not dwell on politics, but on the people directly affected by the politics and by individuals' actions toward each other -- from shop owners to a Palestinian refugee with whom she and her husband take a cab ride one day. The book takes off on little details that can lead to insightful stories: Hoffman's quest for olive oil as the Sabbath begins and the Jewish shop owners shut down their businesses. This collection of essays offers exactly what its title promises: glimpses into the lives of the people who live in and near Hoffman's neighborhood. This is an excellent and different book -- one people would do well to read before rendering too many thoughts on the Middle Eastern conflict, especially if they've never been to Jerusalem.

Hoffman, by the way, is a daughter of author Rosellen Brown. I've had the privilege to talk with both women and found them to be humble, intelligent and most interesting.