Willy Russell [Lyn Paul, Philip Stewart, Stephen Palfreman, Sarah Hay, Emma Thornett in:] Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenright Willy Russell Plays 2 : Blood Brothers / Our Day Out: The Musical / Shirley Valentine / John, Paul, George, Ringo. and Bert

Incredibly, Ryker, Heath, and Denver are not brothers by blood, but life has made them closer than family. All the brothers come with their unique skills, and it is these skills that have set them apart and made them successful in their business. Ryker is the muscle, and fighting bad guys come naturally to him. Heath is the PR person, while Denver, who prefers to stay behind the scenes, is the Tech guy. Together, the trio is nothing but powerful, and the prowess in investigative matters is evident throughout this book. Their abilities and work have earned them a few enemies who are keen to eliminate them and destroy their business. In 2000, Russell published his first novel, The Wrong Boy. In epistolary form, main character Raymond Marks, a 19-year old from Manchester, tells the story of his life in letters to his hero Morrissey. This book changed that perspective, without me going over to the other side: the idea that Israel is inherently evil. I guess it added some realism. Chacour, being an Arab christian is an interesting spokesperson, recognising both a Biblical role for Jews and the very real suffering of Arabs.

This is one man's story about living and working in that tiny state along the Mediterranean. It's also a story not too often heard in Christian/Evangelical circles. For me it added realism and a much needed balance in sympathy for both Israel and the Palestinians. It also made me realise the strange and questionable role the West played in founding the state of Israel and looking the other way when oppression got nasty. In the midst of all the conflict between the Arabs and the Jews, God called upon Elias to help bring peace to the two groups. He attends various schools in an effort to make this peace. Jews and Palestinians in Israel. The book is about how Jews and Arabs are, in fact, blood brothers and should treat each other as such. Zara is a sassy paralegal who is not afraid to speak her mind or take risky moves in her line of duty. She has a weak spot for the handsome Ryker. Zara is committed to her work during the day, but out of the office, she is having an affair with Ryker. These two have been hooking up casually whenever Ryker is in town, but things are getting serious as feelings develop, and the two cannot keep their hands from each other. While there is no much relationship building in the book since these two have been having some fun between the sheets since the beginning of the book, a few things have changed. The fact that Ryker is now based in town makes Zara question their causal relationship and her readiness to take things to the next level. Zara will soon realize that her indecision will not affect Ryker’s feelings for her, and this alpha male will be sweeping her off her feet. However, as the two start to see more of each other, Zara realizes that Ryker has deep secrets that he is not willing to share with anyone. An exile in his native land, Elias began a years-long struggle with his love for the Jewish people and the world's misunderstanding of his own people, the Palestinians. How was he to respond? He found his answer in the simple, haunting words of the Man of Galilee: "Blessed are the peacemakers." I knew virtually nothing of the issues between these two nations (only that they existed), and it was enlightening and saddening to learn the details.

This book is a memoir, the personal account of the author's experiences living, first in the British Mandate of Palestine and then, after the Israeli war of independence, in Israel. But the author isn't Jewish, but rather a Palestinian Christian whose family had peacefully farmed their land in Galilee for generations. But the creation of the state of Israel changed all of that. Their lands were seized and the family became refugees in their own homeland. Douglas Mayo has had a life long love affair with musical theatre. He has authored several books on publicity and marketing for amateur theatre groups. This is both a memoir of the author's work in peacemaking, and a history of the unrest between Israel and Palestine. As a child, Elias Chacour lived in a small Palestinian village in Galilee. The townspeople were proud of their ancient Christian heritage and lived at peace with their Jewish neighbors. But early in 1947, their idyllic lifestyle was swept away as tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed and nearly one million forced into refugee camps. Russell has also written television projects, including the one-off drama, Our Day Out, which aired in 1977. He penned another television drama, One Summer, which aired as a five-part series on Channel 4 in 1983, starring a young David Morrissey.Before reading this book I thought I had quite a balanced view on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After reading this book I see how I also fell victim to the Israel-as-hero story. No, I didn't approve everything Israel does, especially the last decades, and yes, I did feel that the rights of Arabs needed to be more taken into consideration. But at the same time I had this feeling of the Israeli state as being inherently good. They make mistakes, agreed, but aren't they all just well meaning people? Elias Chacour grew up in Biram, a relatively small town in Galilee. He was welcomed into the world with a loving family who believed in Jesus Christ. He enjoyed going on spiritual walks with Jesus, his savior and role model. However the best things in life don’t often last forever. In young Elias’ case, it was World War II. Following the aftermath of Hitler, Palestine grudgingly welcomed Zionist Jews and their military. They confiscated the houses, farms, and churches from the people. God called on Elias to bring peace between Arabs and Jews. He was able to find education in a bishop’s school, and further understand the Arab-Israeli conflict. Elias struggled to love the Jews, and he struggles to clarify the misunderstanding of his people. The men of Galilee are able to help him with a saying. “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

The prayers of his parents defined his vision and shaped his beliefs. Like his mother, he chose not to surrender to abuse and like his father he decided not to turn to violence. God has a better plan for Chacour and the uprooted Palestinian people. He has a message of heavenly peace to people living in daily war. Chacour, like most people of deep faith and commitment had to confront many vexing intellectual questions raised by the Bible and its interpreters. Through these questions God defined his vision of reconciliation using the beatitudes. The insight was simple yet profound for Chacour. He writes: “Suddenly, I knew that the first step toward reconciling Jew and Palestinian was the restoration of human dignity. Justice and righteousness were what I had been hungering and thirsting for. This was the third choice that ran like a straight path between violent opposition and calcified, passive non-resistance.”A Liverpudlian West Side Story: twin brothers are separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. She gives one of them away to wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends in ignorance of their fraternity until the inevitable quarrel unleashes a blood-bath. The Blood Brothers is a trilogy of romance-suspense by Rebecca Zanetti. It’s the story about three brothers who run an investigative agency, their colorful pasts, and the actions they are involved in their lines of duty. The series also highlights the characters’ love-lives and the effects that several strong and smart women have on their lives. A Liverpudlian West Side Story: twin brothers are separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. She gives one of them away to wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends in ignorance of their fraternity until the inevitable quarrel unleashes a blood-bath. ‘Willy Russell is less concerned with political tub-thumping than with weaving a close-knit story about the working of fate and destiny … it carries one along with it in almost unreserved enjoyment” Guardian One of the longest-running and most successful ever West End musicals, Blood Brothers premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse in January 1983. Blood Brothers by Willy Russell – eBook Details I don't know what the answer is for Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but I do know if more of the leaders on both sides were as inclined towards love and peace as the family described in this book, that peace would be attainable. Chacour has devoted his life to cultivating neighborly love between Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Middle East.