Look for Me

Susan Merskey is freelance writer in London, Ontario.

Dana Hillman is a young Israeli woman whose humanity and passion for
justice are obvious to all who meet her. When she takes part in peace
missions, as she frequently does, she and other activists serve as human
shields in situations where the Israeli army is trying to displace
Palestinians. She is a gifted photographer, documenting both the
protests and the faces of the men and women caught in the apparently
endless struggle.

To earn a living, Dana churns out historical romances, well aware of
the irony of her own situation. Her own love story has turned into a
heartbreaking mystery. Why did her husband Daniel suddenly disappear,
and where has he been for the last 11 years? He was not even a combat
soldier; his job was folding laundry. Each year, on the anniversary of
his disappearance, Dana publishes a full-page advertisement, addressed
to Daniel, that says “I will never ever, ever … stop waiting for
you,” with the “ever” multiplied to fill the whole page. When she
finally finds him, he is living in what at first glance appears to be a
most unlikely place.

Born in Israel, Edeet Ravel went to school in Canada and now divides
her time between the two countries. When in Israel she does intensive
political peace work, something that inevitably colours her writing and
may well irk some readers. But don’t let any negative feelings you may
have about the current situation in Israel deter you from reading this
book. Despite all the trials and tribulations Dana encounters, Look for
Me—the second novel in Ravel’s Tel Aviv trilogy (the first, Ten
Thousand Lovers, was a finalist for a 2003 Governor General’s Literary
Award)—is, above all, a story of enduring love.