Stephanie's Life of Perseverance: Chosen People by Robert Whiltow

MY REVIEW:

Chosen People touches on a variety of topics including terrorism, crime, sex trafficking, lawsuits, culture differences, religion, relationships.

Robert Whitlow takes you on the journey of two lawyers, Jakob Brodsky and Hana Abboud representing the Neumann family. They are hoping to find enough evidence so they can pursue the lawsuit under the US Anti-Terrorism statues. Hana was born in Reineh in Jerulsuam and moved Atlanta to hone in on her legal skills.

I found Robert Whitlow's book to move a little on the slow side and at times confusing. Chosen People is more of a lecture about the differences between America culture vs. Jewish and Arab cultures. It got me thinking about how fortunate I am to be an American citizen. For instance, individual pet ownership was less common in Isreal than in the US, and there were no domestic animals in the large house in Reineh where Hana grew up. Most of the dogs she saw as a child were half-wild animals that foraged on household garbage. Unlike American, Arab families members didn't own separate houses they all live in the same house by adding rooms and floors to the existing structure.

Chosen People gets you thinking about Christianity and Muslim Religion. Robert Whitlow stated in the fact that the only country with a rise in Christianity is the Middle East. The concept of God's mercy was common in Islam, but the Qur'an contained only a few references to divine love, all linked to the performance of religious duties. God's unconditional love didn't exist in the Islamic World.

I found this book to be more about forcing Christianity than about the story itself. The idea of lawyers trying to investigate a terrorist attack is a great concept, I just wished it focused more on the story and less on the preaching. I can't help but also think this is a powerful book in the fact it does get you thinking about what people go through in other cultures. The most important topic it expresses is even though bad events happen there are people out there who are full of hope and love especially when you put God in your life. I would suggest you read this book just so you can think about what people have to deal with in different cultures and situations.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Name: Chosen People

Author: Robert Whitlow

Genre: Legal Drama

Release Date: November 6, 2018

Publisher: HarperCollins

Bestselling author Robert Whitlow dives deep into the legal ramifications of a tragic event half a world away and how it affects two lawyers in Atlanta from vastly different backgrounds.

When Hana Abboud walked into the conference room, she was unprepared for the images of a horrific terrorist attack near the Western Wall in Jerusalem. But after watching a courageous mother sacrifice her life to save her four-year-old daughter, Hana knew she needed to help attorney Jakob Brodsky represent the family’s pursuit of justice against those who perpetrate acts of violent jihad. As an Arab Israeli lawyer trained at Hebrew University, Hana is uniquely qualified to step into the gap.
But they need a third partner, an investigator on the ground to help them unravel the snake pit of connections between the terrorists and an organization or company that can be sued in the American courts. Hana returns home to Israel and meets with investigator Hamid Hasan who quickly becomes more than a crucial part of the litigation team.

As Jakob and Hana investigate the case in the US, he is stalked on the streets of Atlanta by affiliates of a terrorist organization. Their pursuit of truth can only be resolved where it began: the streets of Jerusalem. But who can they trust? How deep does deceit go? Can two lawyers and a shadowy investigator impact the kind of violence and terror that has become common in our broken world?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Whitlow is the bestselling author of legal novels set in the South and winner of the Christy Award for Contemporary Fiction. He received his J.D. with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law where he served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review. Website: robertwhitlow.com, Twitter: @whitlowwriter, Facebook: robertwhitlowbooks

INSIDE THE STORY

Chosen People—a title that reflects both the Biblical designation for the Jewish nation as well as converted Christians—opens during a terrorist attack near the Western Wall in Jerusalem. A courageous mother sacrifices her life to save her young daughter, leaving behind a grieving husband and a motherless child.

Whitlow’s many trips to Israel and his in-depth research into the culture and laws of the Holy City are evident throughout the story. Furthermore, his experience as a lawyer gives him keen insight into the mind of his main character Hanna Abboud, an Arab Christian Israeli lawyer working in Atlanta.

“This book provides a unique perspective to this region and its peoples through the eyes of an Arab Christian who believes that the faithfulness of God and truths of the Bible are unshakable realities,” says Whitlow. “This viewpoint is rarely expressed, yet it is one that needs and deserves to be heard so that it can become part of our framework for understanding this vital part of the world and the people who live there.”