The English Teacher by Yiftach Reicher Atir, Philip Simpson (Translation)

I took notes as I read thinking they would be helpful as I reviewed this book, and very few of them actually are helpful now. Many parts in the beginning I marked as confusing or unclear, but those things became clear as I finished the novel. One concern I had when first reading this novel was an issue with the language. I think this is mainly due to the translation of the novel from Hebrew. Because of the vast differences in the languages, a translation into English isn't going to be perfect. There are several parts throughout the novel where the point of view shifts, unintentionally (unless I'm reading it incorrectly) or places where the tense changes. However, as I read I got used to the language. As I got into the story it became increasingly difficult for me to put the book down because so many things were going on throughout the novel and I just had to know what happened. It is such a page-turner, and I recommend starting it when you have time to read the whole thing. If the beginning is confusing, read to the end because everything will become clear. Page 208 is one section which I wanted to point out specifically because I felt my heart shatter when I read that section. Several times throughout, Atir is able to break my heart and make me feel with the stories he writes and the way he writes. It is a beautifully heartbreaking story, and I recommend it to everyone I know. It forces readers to think about things we may have never considered or cannot understand, and that is a great thing for an author to accomplish. This novel is very well written and very much worth the read. I gave this book a 5 out of 5 star-rating.