Revenge: A Story of Hope

Laura Blumenfeld's father was shot in Jerusalem in 1986 by a member of a rebel faction of the PLO responsible for attacks on several tourists. Her father survived, but Blumenfeld's desire for revenge haunted her. This is her story -- and a fascinating study of the mechanics and psychology of vengeance.
While plotting to infiltrate her father's shooter's life, Blumenfeld travels the globe gathering stories of other avengers. Through interviews with Yitzhak Rabin's assassin; members of the Albanian Blood Feud Committee; the chief of the Iranian judiciary; the mayor of Palermo, Sicily; the Israeli prime minister; priests; sports fans; fifth-grade girls; prostitutes; and more, she explores the dynamics of hate -- and the fine line that sometimes separates it from love.
Ultimately, Blumenfeld's target is more complex than the stereotypical terrorist she'd long imagined. In a surprising twist, she gets revenge, but not according to traditional expectations. She discovers a third way, a choice beyond turn the other cheek or an eye for an eye. And with it she answers the age-old question: what is the best revenge?

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Published: 04/02/2003
ISBN: 9780743463393
Pages: 384
Weight: 1.08lbs
Size: 8.42h x 5.65w x 1.01d

Review Citations: USA Today 04/02/2003 pg. 1
New York Times 04/13/2003 pg. 28
Kliatt 07/01/2003 pg. 38