I hate to be the one to write a bad review. Unfortunately though, certain books leave the kind of lasting impression where silence after the fact would be an injustice. It pains me in this particular case especially, because I did in fact have high hopes for this latest novel I picked up recently. The People of Forever Are Not Afraid by Shani Boianjiu doesn't fall into the standard category of titles by former Israeli soldiers. Unlike most books written by former IDF personnel about their experiences in the army, this is not a memoir, but a fictional coming of age story about three young Israeli girls and their own trials and tribulations. They undergo a familiar process that all Israeli teens go through as they're forced to transition from their lives as high school students, dealing with issues about boys and their social lives to newly conscripted soldiers in a far different environment. They come to learn that not all is different in the military however, as matters such as crushes and relationships are now intertwined in a new and more precarious setting.
I have to commend Ms. Boianjiu on this though, as a native Hebrew speaker whose mother tongue is not English, the fact that she decided to write her first novel in English is impressive enough. I remember reading Beaufort by Ron Leshem and coming away completely unimpressed, not just from the stale and unappealing characters in his book, but also due to the fact that the Hebrew to English translation just did not flow. At the very least, Boianjiu takes a bold risk and ends up succeeding in a few areas. The main frame being the instant appeal to a more international audience. The fact that The Guardian has already written her praise speaks volumes. Nonetheless, too often over the course of the book, I found Bouianjiu going off on endless ramblings, the type that did not connect to her story whatsoever or to the characters themselves either. And most importantly, in my opinion, just did not come off as good writing. Of the majority of the characters, I found it hard to be pulled in and intrigued by them, and in general just found them to be uninteresting. As much as I tried to get into the story and find some kind of sympathy with the characters or something to relate to, eventually I hit the wall, and by the time I was done, I was unable to find many endearing aspects to come away with.
Despite what the premise of the novel may lead one to suspect, this is not a war story in the slightest. More than anything, the plot line centers around the mundane routine of military life, where in the novel each of the main characters find themselves either as weapons instructors or as a guard at some far flung checkpoint. The often humdrum and monotonous life depicted for the girls as soldiers is certainly true to life.
It shouldn't be surprising that actual combat exists at entirely a bare minimum. Very few female soldiers in the IDF do in fact serve in combat oriented capacities. The
Caracal Battalion being one of the few that are designated as such. Not to put down Caracal either, but since its inception as a unisex unit given "combat" status, they have had very few actual high risk assignments, and their pedigree as combat soldiers questioned even by the upper brass of the IDF. It didn't help their case when just last year one of their soldiers
was found to be hiding behind a bush during a cross border attack near Sinai. In this sense, it's apparent that the general perception and mythology attached to Israeli female soldiers was played up quite a bit.
Shani Boianjiu.
It seems obvious that Boianjiu is banking off some serious overly romanticized notions and myths that exist in her book. Almost everyone is aware that the IDF is one of the few armed forces in the world to conscript women into its ranks. Most aren't aware though that only about fifty percent of all Israelis called to serve actually do, and the number for total women who end up serving out of the total population is less than one quarter. And even within the IDF, the percentage of women throughout all branches stands at just about 33%. While in the service also, the majority of females are placed in administrative positions, far from the front lines of conflict and even farther from any form of combat, unlike what is perceived in the book. Despite being a pseudo-progressive tale of the contemporary military experience for women, Boianjiu, still makes her allegiance clear, she is a proud Zionist, and not ashamed. She states that, for women, there are many ways to get out of serving in today's climate, yet she still feels to obligation to serve her country. I won't argue with that.
Altogether, with the amount of cliches filled in over the course of the story though, I simply found it hard to take seriously. Having called many of these soldiers my colleagues, I'm fully aware of the difficulties faced by any 18 or 19 year old joining the army, which I certainly won't discredit. I remember serving with them, and sensing nearly all the time the difference in mindset and mentality. As someone who was a 25 year old, along with many of my friends who came from
Michve Alon, it was definitely an adjustment to be made when it came to interacting and dealing with our younger Israeli peers. Most significantly, of course, on a maturity level. Given the circumstances in spite of everything, of an active duty army nearly comprised entirely of kids straight out of high school and in their late teens and early twenties, I'm still impressed how successfully we're able to properly operate, even if it sometimes seems as if things are done while hanging by a thread.
All in all however, The People of Forever Are Not Afraid is not lost beyond hope. It does have its redeeming points to it, and I can see how it can appeal if you're interested in this certain niche or understanding the mentality of young soldiers dealing with real issues day in and day out. I just happened to find it falling short in too many areas, and unfortunately to be a package filled with more style than substance, and more promise than delivery.
