In the Name of Sorrow and Hope

When Yitzhak Rabin's granddaughter, 18, wept as she eulogized the slain Israeli leader under a hot, clear desert sky last Nov. 6th, millions cried with her, reminded by her simple, wrenching words of the personal price of martyrdom. In this memoir of her grandfather and of the political climate that shaped his life and death, Ben Artzi-Pelossof shows that her funerary eloquence was no fluke; that she is, as much for her passion as for her lineage, a natural spokesperson for the sorrow and hope of a young generation of Israelis. The author presents family lore about Rabin, and her own memories-loving but not hagiographic-of the man, and speaks of the difficulty of growing up in a celebrated family. She also pays tribute to her grandfather's political legacy. She traces the growth of her own consciousness (molded greatly by a harrowing visit to Auschwitz) as Jew dedicated to peace, pleads for the furtherance of the peace process and directs strong words toward the militant Israeli religious right. What above all makes this book so moving, however, is its honesty of emotion; despite the author's disavowal of hate, she admits that ""it makes my blood boil to see the murderer in court, looking relaxed, chewing gum, even laughing...."" Only six months have passed since Rabin's death, but this is no quickie exploitation book. Instead, it's a reflective, stirring work filled with the beautiful anguish and sincerity of youth. 200,000 first printing; simultaneous audio and large print editions. (Apr.)