The PROPHETESS, A Book Review

Evonne Marzouk's The PROPHETESS is an amazing book that slowly draws one in until it can't be put down. Even though it was written more for teens and marketed for that age group, I truly enjoyed reading it.

We follow Rachel, her family and friends as she discovers her destiny. There are no goody-goodies, as the characters are all drawn realistically with good points, bad points and problems. Rachel lives in an ordinary suburban neighborhood with all sorts of people, Jews religiously observant and not along with non-Jews. Rachel's parents, though both Jewish, have different attitudes towards their religion. Rachel's mother's father was very religious and influences their home, even after his death. The last thing Rachel ever expects is her destiny as a prophetess. And nothing is simple.

The PROPHETESS leaves us with a few incomplete storylines, so I'm hoping for a sequel. What was the turning point in Rachel's mother's life, and what happens to Rachel's three best friends Maya, Chris and Jake? Nu, Evonne, hint, HINT!

The PROPHETESS is the perfect gift for readers of all ages, including yourself. It can be ordered on Amazon hardcover or Kindle. 

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bancroft Press (October 16, 2019)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 161088504X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1610885041
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 - 18 years
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches

• Best Sellers Rank: #1,005,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Teen & Young Adult Jewish Fiction

• Customer Reviews: 
  4.7 out of 5 stars    27 ratings

One Bowl Meal Salad, Easy to Prepare

 

You can see almost all the ingredients here:

onion, tomatoes, cucumbers and canned peas

What you don't see is the olive oil, pepper and a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

You can substitute cooked or canned lentils or beans for the peas and even add canned tuna, or whatever.  You can also add other vegetables to the salad, like leeks or red pepper, fennel or whatever suits your fancy or you have waiting impatiently in the fridge. 

I'd love to know what version you make. Let me know in the comments, thanks.

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #35 Pleasantly Surprised by a New WC Near The Center of Town

This new WC is nicely decorated and even has a trash can by the door.

This is the latest post about public toilets in Jerusalem. I'm glad to be of service. If you have any suggestions or corrections, please add your two cents in the comments, thanks. Read more in the series:

#34, #33, #32,  #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24,  #23, #22,  #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15a, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1.

A couple of weeks ago when doing errands in Jerusalem, I discovered a new public toilet building. It's on Straus Street near the Geula Taxi stand, which isn't far from Nevi'im Prophets Street. 

It has just the minimum facilities, separate for men and women, but as you can see, it was fully supplied with soap and toilet paper. Plus it seemed clean. Really, do we need anything else?

I must say that since Moshe Lion has become Mayor of Jerusalem, there has been a definite improvement in the state of the city's public toilets. There are more, and the older ones, like at the Jerusalem Municipality, are much cleaner than they had been by the end of Nir Barkat's time as mayor. 

This WC is conveniently located near lots of bus stops and small stores, which aren't required to have public toilets. Some of these stores don't even have a toilet for the staff. That's why you'll sometimes see a note on the locked door saying: "I'll be back in a jiffy." 

I hope you find this helpful. Enjoy in good health.

Faux Beatles, But Good Enough for Me

Yesterday my daughter-in-law found the perfect treat for me, a Jerusalem performance of The Magical Mystery Tour Band. The performance was geared for the "entire family," and my three year old grandson was as enchanted as I was. Three generations sang and danced along to the timeless Beatles songs.

The Beatles had filled my adolescence. Yes, I'm of the '60s. Way back when, over half a century ago, nobody could have confidently predicted that the Beatles' music would be so popular today. It has more life than modern music for sure. We certainly didn't need the beer and chaser to enjoy ourselves, but toasting a l'chaim, to life, never does any real harm. We weren't driving. 

Most of the audience seemed much younger than me; it was an afternoon show. I got a kick observing the enthusiasm of the audience, who had been encouraged to get up, dance, jump and play with balloons. In addition we were invited to sing along, thank Gd. I couldn't have stayed quiet even if I had tried. I still remember all the lyrics.

So, if you have the opportunity to attend a performance of the Magical Mystery Tour band, don't delay. Get your tickets before they're sold out.