4 out of 4 stars
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The title of the book made me want to read it. The poems are poignant. The descriptions are real and cutting. The poet paints a picture of a young bright boy who is thrust in a new land due to circumstances of life. The same sensitivity that makes him a good poet makes him struggle in the new land. Very good read, illustrative descriptions that capture both mood and experience. For those who love words and poetry, this is a captivating read. To lament is to mourn aloud. The author mourns his experiences, yet the pain on the pages is beautiful. The beauty of the humanity, loss and resilience is expressed in the Immigrant’s Lament. The author is a Moroccan Jew whose family is not accepted by the Ashkenazi Jews of Israel. The poems are autobiographical and start with the author’s childhood in Morocco and follow him as he immigrates to Israel, travels to other countries to find solace, loves and loses. He also includes some biting commentary of current world news, society, and his quest to identify with the faith of his ancestors in a country that considers him an outsider. The poet even gives biting commentary about his profession and how it is respected by some and ignored by others. The poetry has a melancholy edge to it as it should because of title. The poems are sad and wistful, but still very good. The poems are like a movie where the main character struggles throughout the entire film and ends up dying of cancer through no fault of their own in the end. The reader is saddened because he or she has come to relate to and support the protagonist.
There are some typographical errors in the book. It should be proofread and edited. The errors do not detract from the book’s story telling.
Rated 4 out of 4.
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The Immigrant's Lament
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