Revenge: A Story of Hope

by Laura Blumenfeld

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New York: Simon & Schuster 2002 382 pp $25.00

Laura Blumenfeld writes a fascinating story of her personal search for revenge after her father was shot in the head by a Palestinian terrorist in the Old City of Jerusalem. Her father, a rabbi, was a tourist. He was targeted for reasons that were unknown.

Blumenfeld spent many months speaking with the family of the incarcerated terrorist, presenting herself as a journalist, which is in fact her actual occupation. She managed to communicate with the terrorist himself, as well.

Though her father was able to forgive and release his attachment to the incident, Blumenfeld remained obsessed with the attack. She visited Albania, where revenge has been codified over 2,000 years of sanctioned practice; in Sicily, where the Mafia have established revenge as a tool for establishing and maintaining power; and in Iran, where Muslim tradition includes revenge as a part of its legal system.

Most fascinating to the reviewer, as a psychotherapist, is her personal odyssey of sorting out her relationships with her father and mother, and how this interdigitated with her resolution of her search for revenge.

This is an excellent, readable exploration of many facets of the issues surrounding vengeful feelings and their resolution.

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