THE LAST TEMPTATION

by Joseph Viertel ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 20, 1955

... ""is the greatest treason, to do the right deed for the wrong reason-"" and it is a questionable act on the part of Victor Marmorek- the appropriation of a list of vital installations- and the miscarriage of justice to which it leads- that leads to his being shot as an informer and provides a holding drama of personal reparations... For Vic, and Debbis, their youngster, David, Palestine is the only answer to years of persecution and evasion in Vienna, Prague and Rome- and it is there they hope to find security for David's future. Their friendship with the British Walkers is suspect- and when they leave and Victor is due to return after the hardwon siege of Jerusalem, Debbie is told that he has been shot as a pro-Arab, pro-British spy. In the days which follow- of personal shock and public stigma, David is stoned at school, Debbie loses her job as a nurse, and only George Stern, an American reporter, offers her support in her determination to prove Vic's innocence. The months bring in little proof- only some which might hurt her further; but finally when the case is re-opened, Vic ends as a hero not a traitor. Debbie, given the chance to go to America-with Stern-chooses instead the country and the home she has fought to recover...A likable heroine- and a vulnerable situation- all provide a strong drama of more popular appeal than other novels which have drawn on the struggle for statehood in Israel- and finds an impetus in the unreasoning fever heat of national prejudices and pressures.

Pub Date: May 20, 1955

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1955

Categories: FICTION