Book of the Month: November

Is it possible to have 3 books of the month? November was a fantastic month for reading and I had a hard time choosing between Defending Britta Stein, The Widow Queen and Tunnels. All three were spectacular reads. However, since I have to choose I am choosing Tunnels. It is a graphic novel with an intricate plot that rivals a full length book. Rutu Modan is an incredibly talented comic writer from Israel whose graphic novels are all fully plotted with fully firmed characters. I think Tunnels is her best book to date. 

In Tunnels we read about a race to find the Ark of the Covenant in underground tunnels on the Palestinian side of Israel. When a big antiquities collector is forced to donate his entire collection to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Nili Broshi sees her last chance to finish an archeological expedition begun by her father decades earlier. She believes that the dig will locate the Jewish Ark of the Covenant, the most important artifact in the Middle East. Motivated by a desire to reinstate her father's legacy as a great archeologist after a rival accepted the tenure her father earned, Nili gathers a ragtag crew to help her: a religious nationalist, her traitor brother and her childhood Palestinian friend. As Nili's father slips further and further into dementia, warring factions close in on and fight over the Ark. The author believes that the biblical Israel lies in one of the most disputed regions in the world, occupied by Israel and contested by Palestine.  Often in direct competition, Israelis and Palestinians dig alongside one another, hoping to find the sacred artifact which is believed to be a conduit to God.  

I think readers of all types of books should consider reading this book.  It's a great story.