Absolutely delightful and evocative series of stories about life in Israel. These gentle, humorous offerings conjure up time past and present

There are eleven stories in this debut book. The author comes over as a very good story teller. The warmth and bleakness of these tales shows a real humanity to me. The stories are set in the Middle East and I would suggest having some knowledge of the history and politics of the area would bring out the best in these stories.

I found these beautifully written and often understated. That if anything added to the power of the tales for me. I could say that these are "simple" stories but they are really far more than that. Underlying the simplicity is a real feel of "down to earthness". We have 11 very human tales of love and loss, life and death.

I'd generally pick out a story or two from such a book and probably they would be my favourites. That is just not possible with this book. For me there are no bad stories in the collection and most of them could be favourites. I made fairly brief notes on each story as I read them. Simply looking back over these notes now while writing my review sends shivers down my spine.

I guess I would highlight The Sand Collector personally. It is about similarities and differences as well as love and loss. It was powerful and well told. My notes for High Heels simply consisted of "WOW" - make of that what you will! Trying to find an "and finally" I really am torn. In the end I'll go for The Sephardi Survivor. It was colourful and almost tongue in cheek which is quite odd given the story. The characters seemed just right to me and I loved it.

There was never a question in my mind that this was going to be a 5 star review from quite early on in the book. I can't remember the last time I read a book of short stories and enjoyed the majority of them so much.

This was a fabulous collection of short stories. The kind of book you will find yourself saying urgently, over and over, to friends: 'Have you read it?

This is one of the best collections of short stories I’ve read recently, all the more impressive for being a debut. The stories grapple in different ways with the impact of Israel’s tumultuous past and present on ordinary people, the fractures to the psyche that it inflicts. There is an ever-present spectre of danger and fear that looms large in every story. ⁣
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In⁣ a story set during the Lebanese civil war, three IDF soldiers are sent to Beirut to stop a radio station from broadcasting fairytales that the authorities suspect to be coded messages to the PLO - they find a beautiful woman named Scheherazade, and they soon realise that her stories foretell their deaths. Another in the present day follows a mother who lost her son in Gaza; she is an activist at checkpoints holding soldiers like her son to account, and over the story her grief seeps out in confrontations with soldiers and settlers. In the funniest of the collection, two Sephardic children find a Holocaust survivor to bring to school for remembrance celebrations and rehearse a wild story to impress their classmates based on Holocaust films - so the man’s moving story about sewing himself a disguise to escape the death camps morphs into a story about a wolf who plays the piano hiding with Jews in a forest.
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#TheManWhoSoldAirInTheHolyLand #OmerFriedlander

Very profound collection of stories that makes you feel for the characters and their stories and makes you live it. Very well written and very immersive in nature, sad and funny in parts and leave sa remnant of it in the minds of readers even after the book has long been closed. I'd definitely go back to this book again.

The Man Who Sold Air in the Holy Land is a touching and melancholic collection of observations on humanity and relationships, amid the backdrop of war and conflict. Omer Friedlander's narratives vary from a young boy, a mother, an old man, both Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish and Arab. We see how conflict has affected their lives through their mistakes and regrets as well as through their hopes for the future.

The theme of loss can be felt strongly in each story, whether that be death, displacement, etc. However, I also felt there was a sense of hope. Perhaps in the innocence of the younger protagonists and in seeing their friendships forged despite being of opposing religions and cultures.

This book also brought attention to the gaps in my knowledge regarding the history and geography of the Holy Land and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and I found myself having to google certain place names and communities. It has certainly encouraged me to make an effort to read more literature on the topic and I am looking forward to reading anything else that Omer Friedlander publishes. His intimate, whimsical prose made for a truly vivid and poignant read.

I really enjoyed this collection that was more emotive than I expected them to be. I really enjoyed the writing and found that each story was so well developed and I became so invested in the characters that it was like reasd a novel in each one. Both humourous and heart wrenching. One of the best books I have read this year.

This is an incredible compilation of short stories that are each uniquely evoking and entertaining. Friedlander considers the I/P conflict with utmost respect and it is evident how much thoughtfulness and research has gone into this book. It surpasses the boundaries of political writing, as in these stories, extraordinary depictions of seemingly ordinary lives are brought to light within beautiful prose. Even in its short format, you find yourself invested in each individual and it brings to the forefront a new perspective on modern conflict and the effects it can have on everyday life.