Toppers Read

Jerusalem A Family Portrait

                  The story of the Halaby family in this comic book reflects the impact of the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the Arab Revolt in 1936, and the White Paper of 1939 in the city of Jerusalem. Due to Yakov Halaby’s greed, the Halaby family was split in two; Yakov decided to sue his own brother during the war, making himself rich while Izak Halaby and his children were left with nothing.  Avraham and David Halaby, two of Izak’s sons, are shown fighting on opposite sides during the battles between the Jewish, British, and Arabs. In the end, a final cease-fire is called after many deaths and the Arabs have control over Jerusalem.  The story stops after the accidental death of Jonathan Halaby, Yakov’s only son.

                  TI found this graphic novel the most boring I have ever read. Most of the strips are very vague, leaving you with no idea about what is going on in the story, and the ending makes no sense at all. There is a bit of history within the story, but it’s hard to catch onto. There is so much random information that the author doesn’t address, it becomes irritating to finish; this is a horrible book. I would not recommend anyone read this.