Quill of the Dove

This uninspired political thriller from Canadian author Shaw (Soldier, Lily, Peace and Pearls) focuses on an effort to forge a durable Israeli-Palestinian peace accord in 2007. The talks are facilitated by Marc Taragon, a French journalist who made many Lebanese and Palestinian friends when he was in Lebanon decades earlier. Those relationships enable him to persuade Israeli politician Jonathan Bronstein and Hamas terrorist Abdullah ‘Akkawi to sit down and hash out the major issues. The terms of the resulting proposal, dubbed the Arkassa Pact, may strike those familiar with the issues as unrealistic, especially as the plan would allow any Palestinian who accepts Israeli citizenship to become one. Readers will also find it a stretch that the trio meet undisguised in public, given the sensitive nature of the discussions and the parties’ awareness that people on both sides of the conflict wish them harm. In addition, the novel suffers from a surfeit of exposition, gratuitous sex scenes, and a groan-worthy final twist. Still, some may applaud Shaw’s attempt to articulate the possible framework for a settlement, even though it’s now long outdated. [em](Apr.) [/em]