November Book of the Month: Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. Join the webchat with the author and her translator on Monday 14 November, 9pm.

[UrsulaMumsnet]

November's book of the month is the gripping literary thriller Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen.

You can expect to miss your stop and lose hours to this consuming tale, based on a true event, about a respected Israeli neurosurgeon whose split-second decision one evening leaves him spiralling into a web of deception, corruption and guilt.

Apply for one of 50 free copies before 14 October, read the book over the next few weeks and join us back here on 14 November 9-10pm to discuss it and put questions to Ayelet and the book's translator, Sondra Silverston.

If you're not lucky enough to bag a free copy, we'd still love for you to come and join in the discussion - buy a paperback here.

I would like to ask Sondra if there are any arts of the translatuion that were particularly difficult to translate. For example, there may be certain sayings in Hebrew that do not particularly relate to English, so how would she overcome this. Also does Ayelet read enough English to be able to read the translation?

Hi Ayelet, You mention the treatment of migrant workers in your book.

How do you think recent events surrounding the flow of migrants into europe influenced this theme for readers ?

For example do you think the news items surrounding the treatment of migrants in europe has helped readers to be able to identify with the migrant characters in this book much more.

Finally as the book is based on a real events what is your hope for the future in relation to how society treats migrant workers.

An outstanding book. This was such an addictive read, a genuine page - turner of a book. My question is how do you make a character who has made a split second decision like this so likeable? Was it your intention that the readers would empathise with him?

Hello everyone, happy to join the webchat from Tel Aviv. Thank you for inviting me to discuss "Waking Lions", and thanks for the questions so far – I'm looking forward to answering them.

Good evening, everyone...

Firstly thanks to everyone who has posted on the thread so far – it’s interesting to hear your thoughts on the novel and we hope you're able to join us this evening.

Someone asked further up the thread why we’d chosen Waking Lions as our book of the month. The truth is we knew little about the book and author when it landed on our desk but for some time we’ve been big admirers of Pushkin Press who publish brilliant literary novels from all over the world and we were interested in the idea of looking at a book that has been translated. As soon as we started reading we were gripped by this brilliant story, fascinated by its setting and we felt the book raised so many important and relevant questions.

We’re really delighted to welcome both Ayelet Gundar-Goshen and translator Sondra Silverstone tonight, who are both joining us from Israel. As they are two hours ahead of us, we’re particularly grateful for joining us so late in the evening - especially to Ayelet whose baby is due at the end of the month. A warm welcome to you both….

I found this complex story fascinating, yet terribly moving and sad. It is thought provoking on so many levels. It is interesting to imagine how oneself would have reacted in Eitan’s situation with the hit and run. I don’t think I could have dealt with Eitan’s guilt. The fact that Assum is an abuser should not change how we view Eitan and his culpability. He is still guilty of hit and run. He was not acting in self defence.

What drove you to write this novel? Could you have written it without your studies in Clinical Psychology or are you more influenced by your work with the Israeli civil rights movement?

Have you met anyone in the medical profession who displayed the same repulsion and hatred for their patients as Eitan initially had for the Eriteans?

Do you worry about having your novels translated into other languages? Do you worry that they will lose part of their essence?

Could ‘leha’ir’ ever mean to light up instead of ‘wake’?

Hi all, I am here. Looking forward to getting involved :)

@yUMMYmUMMYb

An outstanding book. This was such an addictive read, a genuine page - turner of a book. My question is how do you make a character who has made a split second decision like this so likeable? Was it your intention that the readers would empathise with him?

thank you so much yUMMYmUMMYb - happy to know you liked it! it was very important for me that the reader would feel for Eitan, rather than just judge him. it's easier to judge than to try and understand.

SallySwann - my dad was born in Israel but has lived in the UK for most of his adult life. His siblings still live in Israel. My dad is constantly going on about how he envies the Israeli health care system and says it is far superior to the treatment he has had on the NHS! But it's not equivalent to the NHS in terms of being free at the point of use.

Hello All. Lovely to join you this evening. It's not often that translators, usually invisible, can step into the spotlight and talk about their work.

Hi Ayelet and Sondra, I really enjoyed the book. Not only was it an addictive storyline, there was lots in it to make you think. I particularly enjoyed the nods to routine everyday decisions and routines which affect your life so much yet you never think about. My question is about Sirkit; the first half of the book, I understood her to be gentle even though she was "blackmailing" Eitan yet in the second half, I found her a far harder, calculating character. How did you imagine her? Did she adapt to the circumstances that she found herself in or was she always cold?

@BearAusten

I found this complex story fascinating, yet terribly moving and sad. It is thought provoking on so many levels. It is interesting to imagine how oneself would have reacted in Eitan’s situation with the hit and run. I don’t think I could have dealt with Eitan’s guilt. The fact that Assum is an abuser should not change how we view Eitan and his culpability. He is still guilty of hit and run. He was not acting in self defence.

What drove you to write this novel? Could you have written it without your studies in Clinical Psychology or are you more influenced by your work with the Israeli civil rights movement?

Have you met anyone in the medical profession who displayed the same repulsion and hatred for their patients as Eitan initially had for the Eriteans?

Do you worry about having your novels translated into other languages? Do you worry that they will lose part of their essence?

Could ‘leha’ir’ ever mean to light up instead of ‘wake’?

thanks for these great questions BearAusten. the novel is based on a true story - i met an Israeli guy who committed a hit-and-run accident while traveling in India. i was haunted by his story, especially because he didn't look like my concept of "a bad man". i started wondering - could it be that "a good guy" could panic and do a thing like that?

@aristocat

A very interesting book which I enjoyed, so different to my usual thriller books.

My main concern was that Eitans behaviour after the accident was quite unbelievable. However this is central to the story. Who knows how we would react to a situation like this?

It was a challenging read for me and I also noticed the overuse of brackets, why?

Yes Aristocat – that was exactly my question when I set down to write: who knows how we'll react in a "hit and run" situation? We have different scenarios in our minds, but you can't tell until you're there…

@MummysGotMakeup

Hi Ayelet and Sondra, I really enjoyed the book. Not only was it an addictive storyline, there was lots in it to make you think. I particularly enjoyed the nods to routine everyday decisions and routines which affect your life so much yet you never think about. My question is about Sirkit; the first half of the book, I understood her to be gentle even though she was "blackmailing" Eitan yet in the second half, I found her a far harder, calculating character. How did you imagine her? Did she adapt to the circumstances that she found herself in or was she always cold?

thanks MummysGotMakeup for giving me the opportunity to think about Sirkit - she was very dear to me while writing. i didn't want her to be just the "saint-refugee", or the "noble-victim" - i wanted her to be a real person, with dark sides as well as good sides. i believe that's what makes us human. it's a great question you're asking about her "true" character - is she just reacting to her life situation, how much choice does she have?

@Belo

Thanks for my copy of the book mumsnet. I've started reading it and it has cooked me even in my current jetlagged state!

Is it too early to ask Ayelet a (perhaps ignorant) question? Or, perhaps somebody else knows the answer? Liat refers to herself as being in a minority group and coming from Or Akiva. I think of Israel as being a Jewish state (whether that is right or wrong is another matter). But, within the Jewish race in Israel are there different ethnic minorities some of whom suffer from discrimination? I like to think that as Jewish people have themselves been the subject of discrimination they would not discriminate against other members of their faith. Am I being naive?

Hello Bello – Yes, within the Jewish society there are different ethnicities (European Jews, Eastern Jews, Ethiopian Jews and so). I wish I could say that the discrimination we suffered throughout history immunes us in a way from being racist to one another. Sadly – that's not the case.
It reminds me of my work with youth – you would expect that a teenager who suffered bullying at school would be more empathic to other kids – but he might be the first to bully younger kids…

I am sure I read that you were backpacking somewhere and met an Israeli guy who had run over a local and didn’t stop and used this idea. Quite a story, and now such a great book! Thanks again.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. It must be a very exciting time for you. Sorry, I am inclined to judge a fictional Eitan, but I hope, and suspect, I would be more understanding to someone I had encountered. It is easier to think in black and white terms when the individual is not standing before you.

@Hygellig

I enjoyed this book a lot.

I would like to ask Ayelet if she considered exploring the ethical and emotional dimensions of alternative scenarios. For example if Eitan hadn't left his wallet at the scene, it's unlikely that the police would have found that he was the hit and run driver, but having a death on his conscience might have had major repercussions on his life - or he might have gradually found himself thinking about it less and less.

I was also wondering if the novel has raised awareness of the plight of migrant workers and refugees in Israel.

To Sondra Silverston I would like to ask if there were any particular difficulties in translating the novel, for example turns of phrase that don't have an exact equivalent in English?

There are very often words or phrases without an exact equivalent. Sometimes we have to translate "the spirit" of the original language, if not the exact wording.

Thanks for answering and joining us so late. Congratulations on your pregnancy. Are you currently writing anything new or can we expect something soon in print from you - would love to read something else you have written.

I'd also like to ask Sondra if she has translated books from English into Hebrew and how she got involved in this kind of work in the first place. I assume that she must have lived in Israel at some point?

@lalamcbride

Hi Ayelet, You mention the treatment of migrant workers in your book.

How do you think recent events surrounding the flow of migrants into europe influenced this theme for readers ?

For example do you think the news items surrounding the treatment of migrants in europe has helped readers to be able to identify with the migrant characters in this book much more.

Finally as the book is based on a real events what is your hope for the future in relation to how society treats migrant workers.

these are really important questions, lalamcbride. people read about refugees in the news every day, but somehow they remain the invisible people, those left behind. i hope literature can make a difference here, putting a name and a face to those people.

Sondra - as you were translating were there parts of the story that you would have written differently?
A process question - do you read the whole book first to get a sense of the story and then go back and translate or do you translate on initial read? Such a fascinating job.

I thought it was an interesting title and wondered if the title is the same in Israel.

Ayelet and Sondra; We would like to put our standard questions from Mumsnet HQ to you both:

Which childhood book most inspired you?

What was the last book you gave someone as a gift?

What was the best book you have recently read?

And finally - to Ayelet - can you describe the room where you wrote Waking Lions - and to Sondra - the room where you wrote the translation?

@yUMMYmUMMYb

Thanks for answering and joining us so late. Congratulations on your pregnancy. Are you currently writing anything new or can we expect something soon in print from you - would love to read something else you have written.

thanks for keeping me awake - this is my last party before the birth :)
i'm working on my third novel, but it think it will take a while now - babies and novels don't always get along so well..