The book, The Spanish Doctor, is the story of Sephardic Jews as a whole, and of one individual in specific. It begins in Toledo in 1391 and ends in Kiev in 1445. So, why should we be interested in something that happened hundreds of years ago? The answer is simple. It helps us to understand the present. It offers some insight into why we are now faced with a horrific situation in the Middle East. It is not an excuse for the excesses of the actions of the State of Israel, but it helps to understand the psychology of those who feel justified in their actions to reclaim or take territory that once was the home to ancient Jews.

I am sure that author Matt Cohen would not have foreseen the events that are now unfurling in the Palestinian territories at the hand of the invading Israelis. He died of cancer in 1999, when there was still hope that the Middle East would soon find peace. The Spanish Doctor was first published in 1984, and written during a time when the Israelis had returned captured territory to Egypt. Peace seemed a possibility then as well.

The sense of persecution that is felt by the Israelis has its roots in the real persecution of people of Jewish faith ever since the Diaspora 2000 years ago. Wherever they settled, the Jews, sooner or later, were persecuted, expelled, killed in pogroms.

They had golden moments, of course, in these 2000 years, in which they mingled with a wide variety of different societies in many different countries. Those, who now live again in Israel, are the descendants of many different people. They are a heterogeneous society held together by their religion. And, like all other major religious faiths, theirs is splintered into different groups with differing ideas of how to worship God.

One of the golden periods in the lives of Jews was in Spain during the reign of some of the more enlightened Moorish rulers. When the Spanish people finally rose up against their foreign rulers and regained their homeland for themselves, they also turned against the Jewish population.

On hindsight, one can see that it was the Spaniards' loss for many of the Jewish families contributed much to the well-being of Spain. But, alas, religious fanaticism then held sway and even those Jews who converted to Christianity were eventually seen as enemies. From this we can see that history has a way of repeating itself over and over again.

The Spanish Doctor is the story of Avram Halevi, a brilliant physician, who was born in Spain, but grew up in France, where he obtained his medical training. Eventually, he must leave there, too. Italy offers a haven for a while, but in the end it is in the far away steppes of Russia, where he finds the freedom he needs.

Of course, this is not just Halevi's story. It is also that of Gabriela, a woman of great talent, who loves him and follows him to the lonely life in the cold land of what we now know as Ukraine.

The book is well researched and depicts Europe in the 15th century exceedingly well. It is rich in the colour and texture of the period and written in clear, yet wonderfully descriptive language. Faith, passion, the will to live, all are expressed beautifully in this novel. One is glad it has been reissued.

[The Spanish Doctor by Matt Cohen, L&OD, 344 pages, softcover, $19.19>]

A truly chilling Spy Tale

Spy stories about the Cold War still  fascinate, even if this strange period in our history has come to a close — sort of. Anyone who believes that the East is not spying on the West today, and vise versa, is surely dreaming.

It seems appropriate at this time to reissue a novel about the early years of the Cold War  while we are in the midst of a much hotter conflict. The Innocent by Ian McEwan takes us to 1955 Berlin. He depicts a world that some readers will find almost unbelievable, but it actually existed and still influences our actions today. He wrote it in 1990.

McEwan, a 1998 Booker Prize winner, has taken a real event and build around it a kind of psychological thriller, for want of a better description. For there is nothing thrilling about this tale, although it is intriguing, suspenseful and holds the reader's attention.

He paints a stark background  of  bombed-out Berlin for his tale. At the same time, he gives readers an insight into the minds of people who are caught in the spidery web of espionage without ever having wanted to get involved.

The Innocent is the story of Leonard Marnham, an employee of the British Post Office, who suddenly finds himself assigned to a job in Berlin. When the job transfer comes, he is 25 years old and still lives with his parents in Tottenham. To suddenly find himself in Berlin is both bewildering and exciting for him.

Marnham, of course, is a fictional character set into a real event. This is the joint CIA-MI6 attempt to listen in on the Russians via a tunnel leading from the American to the Russian sector of Berlin. Only two persons in this novel are real persons, and they only make a very brief appearance.

Of course, there is also a love story in this tale. What would a good spy story be without it. McEwan, however, does not  create just a simple love stories. This one turns and twists in most unexpected ways.

The author's prose is spare and to the point to give reality to the austere life of 1955 Berlin. It is perfect for this novel and one never wants to skip a word, for each one counts in this tale. He has placed his characters, after all, into a very grim, unforgiving world. What one likes about this story is that one constantly senses danger around the corner. Yet, when it comes, it is from a highly unexpected source and in a very unpredictable manner.

The conclusion of The Innocentis a complete surprise, totally unforeseen, and very revealing about the attitudes prevalent during the Cold War. It is a haunting, sad tale that reminds us that things are often done to keep us secure that contradict the very essence of the freedom and justice we want to protect. Yet, one wonders whether there are any other alternatives. This novel definitely makes one think, while it also entertains.