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Together #2
Closer Together
In this remarkable sequel to Together They Overcame , Eyal and Rosalind piece their lives together as a married couple after the tragic accident that left Rosalind fighting for her life. Struggling to find herself as she slowly recovers, Rosalind returns home with a deeper awareness of what has been troubling her for so long. While Eyal does his best to nurse his wife back to health amid the tension still present from a mother who disapproves of Rosalind’s German Catholic heritage, his transfer to a base in the Israeli desert comes into play. Rosalind quickly falls in love with her new surroundings and develops several deep-rooted friendships, but a series of tragic events and devastating betrayals leaves her questioning who she is—and what’s really important. For fans of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl , Closer Together is a passionate tale of a young married couple struggling to find their way and regain their confidence in themselves and the life they are building together.
- GenresRomance
264 pages, Paperback
First published September 22, 2015
About the author
Juliet C.B. Aharoni
2 books33 followersNovel, 'Together They Overcame'
http://www.amazon.com/Together-They-O...
People have asked me for my reasons for writing “Together They Overcame.” To be honest, there’s no simple answer to that. I had many reasons for writing it. I believed I had an enlightening story to tell. I wanted to present a young couple from worlds apart, and how, against all odds, they learn to come together regardless of their diverse backgrounds (her German Catholic connections and his Israeli pioneer upbringing). Finally, I believe that true love will always prevail.
I also had to show the difficulties the Israelis had to contend with and their means of overcoming them in the late 50’s. Readers could identify with the universal issues such as shortage of food and money, a young couple coming together in marriage and an atrocious mother-in-law, but the horrors of the holocaust still lingering in the air made it unbearable for those who had lost loved-ones and had come to Israel leaving behind everything they knew and trying to start anew.
It surprised me that none of the reviewers mentioned Mrs. Hahn, who played an important role in Rosalind’s healing process and adapting to life in a country torn by the suffering of survivors from concentration camps and their peculiarities because of it and, of course having to live daily with terrorist attacks.
I hoped to portray a multi-cultural nation struggling to find itself. What the influx of new immigrants meant to Israel who had built up a nation with misplaced human beings from seventy four nations. The Hebrew language is not easy to learn, yet these people of all ages had to start a new life unlike anything they had ever known. Part of that was learning a new language.
I used the language as spoken by the highly educated Israeli, with the hope that the reader could see the distinction between the classes.
I was hesitant about the graphic sex scenes; however, with my husband’s approval, I let them be. People steer away from mentioning sex, which I find a shame. It’s the greatest way for human beings to express their love and joy. I did not want erotic scenes, just good down-to-earth sex between a man and woman in love.
I guess that, deep down, I wanted readers to learn about life in Israel from a very different view-point, from someone living there. It was/is important for me that readers see Israel positively from an outsider looking in.
FOREWORD
Clarion Review
Together They Overcame
Juliet C.B. Aharoni
CreateSpace
978-1-4959-1936-7
This touching, tender story of love in Israel will capture the hearts of romance
enthusiasts seeking down-to-earth drama.
Cultural dominance rooted in tradition meets free-spirited passion in Together They
Overcame, an absorbing tale of young love. Juliet C.B. Aharoni straightforwardly reveals what happens when indoctrinated expectations clash with natural urges. The title itself speaks volumes, for this story is an ongoing struggle, a fight to override the familial forces that threaten to keep an eager man and a sensible woman apart.
Set in Israel after the 1956 Sinai campaign, an eighteen-year-old nursing student leaves her home in South Africa, following her physician boyfriend to help wounded soldiers. While working at a hospital, Rosalind encounters Eyal, a Jewish patient. He boldly flirts with her and eventually talks her into marrying him. Initially, they live under the same roof as his parents.
Though the stereotypical genre romance often ends with matrimony, marriage is where this book’s conflict starts, forcing the plot into a juxtaposition of explicit sex scenes and domestic battles with a difficult mother-in-law.
Rosalind is from a German Catholic background, not ideally suited to a traditional living arrangement in Israel. As Eyal’s family looks on with skepticism, she tries to adapt to her new environment and even adopts his faith, while choosing to teach instead of nurse. Strong emotional turbulence underlying the
http://www.amazon.com/Together-They-O...
People have asked me for my reasons for writing “Together They Overcame.” To be honest, there’s no simple answer to that. I had many reasons for writing it. I believed I had an enlightening story to tell. I wanted to present a young couple from worlds apart, and how, against all odds, they learn to come together regardless of their diverse backgrounds (her German Catholic connections and his Israeli pioneer upbringing). Finally, I believe that true love will always prevail.
I also had to show the difficulties the Israelis had to contend with and their means of overcoming them in the late 50’s. Readers could identify with the universal issues such as shortage of food and money, a young couple coming together in marriage and an atrocious mother-in-law, but the horrors of the holocaust still lingering in the air made it unbearable for those who had lost loved-ones and had come to Israel leaving behind everything they knew and trying to start anew.
It surprised me that none of the reviewers mentioned Mrs. Hahn, who played an important role in Rosalind’s healing process and adapting to life in a country torn by the suffering of survivors from concentration camps and their peculiarities because of it and, of course having to live daily with terrorist attacks.
I hoped to portray a multi-cultural nation struggling to find itself. What the influx of new immigrants meant to Israel who had built up a nation with misplaced human beings from seventy four nations. The Hebrew language is not easy to learn, yet these people of all ages had to start a new life unlike anything they had ever known. Part of that was learning a new language.
I used the language as spoken by the highly educated Israeli, with the hope that the reader could see the distinction between the classes.
I was hesitant about the graphic sex scenes; however, with my husband’s approval, I let them be. People steer away from mentioning sex, which I find a shame. It’s the greatest way for human beings to express their love and joy. I did not want erotic scenes, just good down-to-earth sex between a man and woman in love.
I guess that, deep down, I wanted readers to learn about life in Israel from a very different view-point, from someone living there. It was/is important for me that readers see Israel positively from an outsider looking in.
FOREWORD
Clarion Review
Together They Overcame
Juliet C.B. Aharoni
CreateSpace
978-1-4959-1936-7
This touching, tender story of love in Israel will capture the hearts of romance
enthusiasts seeking down-to-earth drama.
Cultural dominance rooted in tradition meets free-spirited passion in Together They
Overcame, an absorbing tale of young love. Juliet C.B. Aharoni straightforwardly reveals what happens when indoctrinated expectations clash with natural urges. The title itself speaks volumes, for this story is an ongoing struggle, a fight to override the familial forces that threaten to keep an eager man and a sensible woman apart.
Set in Israel after the 1956 Sinai campaign, an eighteen-year-old nursing student leaves her home in South Africa, following her physician boyfriend to help wounded soldiers. While working at a hospital, Rosalind encounters Eyal, a Jewish patient. He boldly flirts with her and eventually talks her into marrying him. Initially, they live under the same roof as his parents.
Though the stereotypical genre romance often ends with matrimony, marriage is where this book’s conflict starts, forcing the plot into a juxtaposition of explicit sex scenes and domestic battles with a difficult mother-in-law.
Rosalind is from a German Catholic background, not ideally suited to a traditional living arrangement in Israel. As Eyal’s family looks on with skepticism, she tries to adapt to her new environment and even adopts his faith, while choosing to teach instead of nurse. Strong emotional turbulence underlying the
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 30, 2016
My rating: 5/5
Even though I haven’t had the chance to read the first book in this series, I really loved this story! I’m not a big fan of romance, but I thought the way this book outlined Rosalind’s relationship was just beautiful. The author’s writing style really allows us to get inside her head, making it easy to understand exactly how she feels from the very first page. Despite the hardships Rosalind faces when her suspicious about her husband arise at the base, she shows very likeable character traits. I really thought she was a well-developed character, especially in the face of adversity.
This book flows very easily from one chapter to the next, and once you start reading it, it’s engaging to the end. I could very easily picture the scenes in my mind as I read which is a hard thing for me to do. The emotional aspects of the hardships of marriage painted by Aharoni are very realistic and believable. I would recommend to anyone who loves a good, down-to-Earth romance.
Even though I haven’t had the chance to read the first book in this series, I really loved this story! I’m not a big fan of romance, but I thought the way this book outlined Rosalind’s relationship was just beautiful. The author’s writing style really allows us to get inside her head, making it easy to understand exactly how she feels from the very first page. Despite the hardships Rosalind faces when her suspicious about her husband arise at the base, she shows very likeable character traits. I really thought she was a well-developed character, especially in the face of adversity.
This book flows very easily from one chapter to the next, and once you start reading it, it’s engaging to the end. I could very easily picture the scenes in my mind as I read which is a hard thing for me to do. The emotional aspects of the hardships of marriage painted by Aharoni are very realistic and believable. I would recommend to anyone who loves a good, down-to-Earth romance.
November 30, 2015
Closer Together by Juliet Aharoni is the story of a woman who deals with the struggles in her marriage in 1959 Israel, as told through the eyes of the book’s main character Rosalind. As the story progresses you come to experience and share in Rosalind’s deep inner thoughts which are filled with, self-doubt, insecurities, and a growing suspicion that her husband Eyal may not remain faithful to her due to an abundance of available, young ladies at his place of employment as a mechanical engineer for the Air Force. Rosalind’s self-consciousness gets further compounded by Eyal’s mother, who refuses to accept her into the family because of her German Catholic background. But, as bad as things might seem for Rosalind sometimes, she isn’t just a complete basket case, though. She’s truly is an absolutely lovable character who is warm, and thoughtful, and completely out-going for those closest to her in her life, especially in their times of despair. Aharoni does an absolutely wonderful job of keeping the flow of the story moving forward, and I found myself fully engaged in all the characters development right through to the book’s very end. Her strong writing enabled me to paint very vivid pictures of the different situations in my mind, and her ability to bring human emotion into words may be Juliet Aharoni’s greatest talent. I highly recommend “Closer Together” it’s how a romance novel should be written. A+++
December 4, 2015
Rosalind and Eyal work hard at finding their way to mend their assurance in each other as well as themselves. Rosalind’s recovery is a slow process as Eyal her husband nurtures her back to health. Soon after they are relocated to a base in the Israeli desert. Rosalind develops affection toward her new atmospheres as well as new found friends. But all is not a bed of roses, for a sequence of unpleasant happenings leaves her overwhelmed as well as wondering what is it in her life that is most important. This novel conveys thought-provoking characters, in a rich tale of passion, and resilient spirits. The mutual connections with struggle and learning to cope in a remote country with different principles and cultures was very interesting. Juliet Aharoni has a real knack in describing human sentiment in her writing. This is book 2 in a series. ‘Together They Overcame’ is book 1. I recommend these wonderful stories to anyone who loves romance dealing with struggles as well as victories.
May 30, 2016
In the sequel to "Together They Overcame," we follow Rosalind and Eyal in their move to an air force base in the Negev desert as well as a new phase of their marriage. The author delves into the essence of young married life with its vicissitudes, conflicts and moments of joy and togetherness. Like the first book of the series, Rosalind, the protagonist, gropes her way towards understanding herself, her new environment and the foreign culture she's been thrust into as a young South African woman with a sad family history. The reader is immersed in the life of an Israeli air force base in the early days of the State of Israel, its norms, intrigues and moments of self-sacrifice and tragedy. The descriptions of the desert are stunning and evocative, planting the reader firmly in the shifting sands of the desert as well as the narrative!
This book is a tribute to steadfastness and loyalty that can bond lovers together in a strong marriage.
This book is a tribute to steadfastness and loyalty that can bond lovers together in a strong marriage.
October 26, 2015
Aharoni continues the story of Rosalind and Eyal in this second book. Rosalind is still trying to come to terms to life in an Israel that seems to embrace her with one hand and push her away with another. Eyal struggles to understand her troubled behavior, when life intervenes and they are offered a new beginning, away from his family.
What fascinates me about Aharoni's work is how true her tale rings. It's almost like reading an autobiography, and the story successfully captures life's messiness instead of offering unrealistic, Deus-ex-machina solutions to the couple's problems. Life is not wrapped in a neat little bow, and neither is Rosalind's story. Carefully avoiding sentimentality, this is an account that rings true.
In this context, it is great to watch the parallels between a new nation learning to stand on its feet, and a young woman learning to fight for her happiness.
What fascinates me about Aharoni's work is how true her tale rings. It's almost like reading an autobiography, and the story successfully captures life's messiness instead of offering unrealistic, Deus-ex-machina solutions to the couple's problems. Life is not wrapped in a neat little bow, and neither is Rosalind's story. Carefully avoiding sentimentality, this is an account that rings true.
In this context, it is great to watch the parallels between a new nation learning to stand on its feet, and a young woman learning to fight for her happiness.
November 26, 2015
Closer together was a great book. And even though I hadn't read the first book, I had no problem to sync with this one.
Rosalind - the protagonist is a lovely character. The author has brought up the situations she encounters and the doubts that arise in her mind, remarkably throughout the book. Another character to be mentioned is her husband Eyal who never gives up trying to help her.
The airforce base scenario that unfolds looks so real and I enjoyed all the other characters with their plus points and flaws.
Overall it captures the essence that 'All of us have our insecurities and doubts, but we must learn to move on. And that makes us closer together with the ones we love and the ones who truly matter in our lives'
Rosalind - the protagonist is a lovely character. The author has brought up the situations she encounters and the doubts that arise in her mind, remarkably throughout the book. Another character to be mentioned is her husband Eyal who never gives up trying to help her.
The airforce base scenario that unfolds looks so real and I enjoyed all the other characters with their plus points and flaws.
Overall it captures the essence that 'All of us have our insecurities and doubts, but we must learn to move on. And that makes us closer together with the ones we love and the ones who truly matter in our lives'
June 30, 2016
Book 2,Closer Together shows the young couple, Rosalind and Eyal, now living on an air force base. They, like people all over the world, face life with it's ups and downs. They encounter betrayals, a fedeyeen attack and death of one of their pilot friends. I loved Rosalind's ability to push her own problems aside in order to help her friend, Safi get over her issues with her husband and the horrors of being physically attacked twice.
The author takes the reader on a journey seeing Rosalind's character develop and mature. The descriptions of the desert were the best.
The author takes the reader on a journey seeing Rosalind's character develop and mature. The descriptions of the desert were the best.
June 19, 2016
Just as passionate and intimate as the first book. I love sequels that pick up right where they left off. The struggles in this second book belong not only to the relationship between Rosalind and Eyal, but to their newfound friendships and acquaintances, highlighting the troubles and concerns that are universally shared. Dealing with negative thoughts--including fears that could be argued are triggered by Rosalind's past with her mother and her actions in the first book-- and the difficulties with making female friends were main focal points for me in this read.
October 31, 2015
A sensitive book, filled with details and characters, that take the reader through an interesting journey of life.
Merged review:
A sensitive book, filled with details and characters, that take the reader through an interesting journey of life.
Merged review:
A sensitive book, filled with details and characters, that take the reader through an interesting journey of life.
November 27, 2015
I really enjoyed reading about the air force base. The author depics life in the living quarters of the officers with great clarity. She manages to show the prejudices between the wives of the air crew and the ground crew. She captured my attention from the beginning to the end.
October 27, 2015
Another interesting book of this author.
Strongly recommended.
Strongly recommended.
November 27, 2015
Couldn't stop reading it the whole night. I especially enjoyed what was happening in the base. The characters were lively and colorful.
Made me thing quiet a lot about myself.
Highly recommended.
Made me thing quiet a lot about myself.
Highly recommended.
May 14, 2017
Set in the late 1950’s in Israel, “Closer Together”, by Juliet C.B. Aharoni, takes us back to a time when post-war emotions are still raw, when a young couple caught in the middle of bitter resentment relocate to an air force base in the Israeli desert. There, Rosalind and Eyal must come to terms with a new life. Rosalind battles to overcome her insecurities and depression while faced with new challenges as she suddenly finds herself cast into the complexities and affairs of others around her. This is a coming-of-age novel about the bond of love and the necessity to either mature and face up to life, or crawl away to a dark place inside. A worthy read for lovers of romance and coming-of-age novels.
August 6, 2016
I jumped right into this second book without reading the first, and it flowed very well. The author did an amazing job in setting up the story for this second book of her TOGETHER series and she even lists short descriptions of each character at the beginning of the book, which helped a lot.
Moving to a remote location in the dessert on an air force base, two complex characters attempt to find their footing. Developing new friendships, becoming more comfortable with the surroundings, tension develops between the two in more ways than one.
A novel that is packed with emotions, and radiating sentiments. I was touched and felt for the main character Rosalind, as she experiences life changes, finding herself along the way, and at the same time dodging bullets that will only make her stronger in the end. For romance fans, this is worth the read.
Moving to a remote location in the dessert on an air force base, two complex characters attempt to find their footing. Developing new friendships, becoming more comfortable with the surroundings, tension develops between the two in more ways than one.
A novel that is packed with emotions, and radiating sentiments. I was touched and felt for the main character Rosalind, as she experiences life changes, finding herself along the way, and at the same time dodging bullets that will only make her stronger in the end. For romance fans, this is worth the read.
July 7, 2016
Juliet Aharoni's book is an emotional and compelling read about a young married couple who live on an air force base in the Negev Desert. She and her husband, Eyal, work hard on their marriage and life together while making friends and becoming involved in life on a base. The story centers around Rosalind, who is insecure, troubled, and emotionally fragile, but through her friendships and her marriage, becomes stronger and more mature.
Closer Together is a sensitive and passionate love story that engages readers from the start. It is a thought provoking love story that embraces love, marriage, and strong friendships.
Closer Together is a sensitive and passionate love story that engages readers from the start. It is a thought provoking love story that embraces love, marriage, and strong friendships.
December 22, 2015
Nice romance story about Rosalind and her husband Eyal that is an army officer, he must move to a base in the Negev desert, they have a large residential area for officers and their wives for live in the air force base. Rosalind after a while get used to the life of the desert base, like a small village there was some gossip on the relationships of the officers and their wives, that affected Rosalind too but she went through and found a strong friendship with Safi and Nimrod.
I enjoyed this romance book, it touches the real aspects of one relationship in a delicate manner.
I enjoyed this romance book, it touches the real aspects of one relationship in a delicate manner.
July 18, 2016
This book is a romance with a feel good ending. It takes the reader through the trials and tribulations of a beautiful young woman who struggles to overcome her anxiety. The author emphasizes quite adeptly the importance of love and friendship. It is thanks to the unconditional support of her husband and her best friend Safi that Rosalind overcomes her insecurities. The book also provides an interesting and detailed description of the life at an Israeli military base. It reveals a world that I know little about and that is why I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews