About the last book I’d want to entertain myself with is one about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. But I have long admired Lawrence Wright’s books, and I was intrigued by the idea of his encapsulating the conflict within a murder mystery/political thriller. Tony Malik, an FBI agent whose father came to New York from Palestine, is on leave to recover from injuries—including a traumatic brain injury—caused during an attempt to defuse a terrorist bomb. His girlfriend has dumped him, and the Bureau seems wishy washy about whether he’ll be able to return to active service, so Malik thinks: road trip! Well, not that kind of road trip. He decides to go to Hebron, Israel, to his cousin’s wedding and to visit his extended family.

Yossi Ben-Gal, another principal character, is on the Hebron police force. One thing the reader learns quickly is that police forces are very much subordinate to the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) and the internal intelligence service, Shin Bet, nicknamed Shabak. All around Hebron, far-right Israeli groups displace Palestinians to establish settlements. Violence is everywhere, every day, unrelenting, from both sides. The “human scale” refers to how many lives each side deems necessary to make up for a life taken on their side. But Wright takes his story down to the level of Malik’s family members and acquaintances, Yossi and his colleagues, the settlers, and other individuals. That is the “human scale” where Wright plays out the tragedy of the conflict, where there are now so many extremists on both sides who do not believe in peace, only obliteration of their foe.

When Yossi’s chief is shown on video being beheaded in what appears to be a Hamas execution, an eruption of violence begins. But Yossi, who hadn’t been particularly friendly with his pacifist boss, wonders why his boss begs him to help on the video. Why me, Yossi can’t help wondering, and this gets him working on his own investigation, especially since he’s already dubious that Hamas is to blame, since they are not given to beheadings, unlike some other terrorist groups. Yossi doesn’t trust his colleagues, but through a series of events, he ends up in a wary partnership with Malik, who wants to help his cousin, whose fiancé has been accused of being the executioner.

There is a great deal of tension and action in this book, which kept me turning the pages. But Wright also frequently stops the action to explain historical events leading to the current levels of deadly animosity between the Israelis and Palestinians. I understand why he felt the need to include that exposition. I doubt there are many readers who would know this history at the level of detail Wright gives, and his explanations are helpful. I expect that the book will be slammed by readers who refuse to accept criticism of Israelis, or by those who are just as passionate about defending Palestinians. But I think it will be appreciated by readers who want a better understanding of this tragic conflict—and who want to read a compelling narrative.

I loved this one it was a good well plotted thriller that gives you insight into others cultures and perceptions and complexities of life in the Middle East East
It was an amazing read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review books

This book is an incredible story about a man's journey to find his roots after a crippling accident on the job. He travels to the holy land to meet his remaining family. The author then weaves the history of the land, the faith, and the wars into the story of Tony's visit. As Tony sees the daily struggles of his family, Wright portrays the daily struggles of the people on both sides. There is so much happening to the characters - who feel so real - to the community and in the area. All of the factual events and honest emotion make this book read like both a thriller and a historical novel. This book was not only an exceptional read, it gave me a much better understanding of what happens in the daily life of those in the holy land and why they feel so committed to their cause. It is heartbreaking to know that those born in the area feel so strongly against their 'enemies' that they would rather die than forgive, that they would not consider leaving to pursue a life without aggression, that they feel even children are not innocent. I cannot understand how anyone could discount life or so easily accept death, and yet Wright lays the foundation to explain how those living in the holy land have been raised with these beliefs. I came away with sadness but also enlightenment.

Very Intense and numbing story of Tony Mallik, an American Arab FBI agent whose life
changed forever when he was among the victims of a terrorists bomb
that accidentally t exploded while being defused by his bomb squad.
Still recuperating and not sure what his job future looks like, he goes to
Israel to attend a family wedding in Gaza and becomes involved in the investigation
of the brutal beheading of an Israeli police chief.
The story drags a bit, for me, in the history telling and the back and forth intermingling of
the characters from then and now.
Malik struggles deeply with the Jewish/Palestinian divide as he pushes forward in search of the person behind the murder of the captain.
It is, however, rich in learning opportunities and a much clearer portrayal of the deeply complicated and painful conflict which divides and labels a country struggling to find acceptable compromise
for all peoples.
A good read with a wealth of teaching behind the lines.

I learned much about the Middle East from this book. An interesting discussion about how different cultures perceive things. Characters are forced to accept and deal with differences

There have been so many good mystery thrillers lately. The last I’ve read was The Human Scale by Lawrence Wright. It was a great book.

What a book! The author, Lawrence Wright, being an experienced journalist was able to craft a story I was unable to put down. His experience in the Middle East with the horror building up of October 7, 2023 in Gaza delivered a riveting thriller. I am still processing what I read. The story unfolding does a fantastic job of telling both sides point of view. I don’t want to give anything away but read this book. This fictional storyline was accurately written based on true event which the author educated the reader along the way. Lawrence Wright is an excellent story teller! I would love to revisit this character in five years.

Here's your book about the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Lawrence Wright is a skilled writer of historical thrillers and "The Human Scale" is a whopper. Probably not the book to be reading during a tense US election season, but I could not put it down. It centers around a forced relationship between an American-Palestinian FBI agent and an Israeli cop who strive to solve the murder of an Israeli police chief who met with the American shortly before his death. The tragedy of this conflict permeates every page of the novel, the hopelessness of Israelis and Palestinians, how trapped they feel, and how much they hate the other side. The deeply human characters reminded me of Graham Greene. Not to be missed.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.