The Visit to Latrun

ABOUT THE BOOK THE VISIT TO LATRUN tells the story of a teenager living in pre-Israel Palestine a nd eager to fight for the establishment of a Jewish state. The boy’s father, who, as one of the leaders of the Jewish community, has been incarcerated by the British authorities in Latrun, wants the boy to pursue higher education abroad so he can acquire the perspective required for future leadership. The story, which focuses on the boy’s fateful meeting with his father in Latrun, throws light on th e conflicting viewpoints of two generations and illuminates an important period in the history of Israel. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Born in Israel (then called “Palestine”), Judith Weinshall Liberman came to the United States in 1947 to pursue higher education. She earned four American university degrees including two in law, a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and an LL.M. from the University of Michigan Law School. After settling in the Boston area in 1956, she studied art and creative writing. Beginning in the early 1960s, and for four decades thereafter, Ms. Liberman created numerous series of artworks. Her art has been widely exhibited, and is represented in the collection of museums and other public institutions. During her long career in visual art, Ms. Liberman wrote several books, among them some picture books. Her book THE BIRD’S LAST SONG (Addison-Wesley, 1976), which she also illustrated, won a citation as one of the “fabulous books of the year.” Since 2012, she has published several additional picture books, including ICE CREAM SNOW, COLOR IN OUR WORLD, HAIFA, THE BEE AND THE BUTTERFLY, THE LITTLE SONGBIRD, THE BIRD WHO WENT TO HEAVEN, THE GIRL AND THE PIGEONS, WHAT WILL I BE?, LUCY AND THE SNOWMAN, IF I HAD A LITTLE SISTER, IF I WERE A MOM, THE SECRET, ANNE FRANK IN MY ART, RUTHIE AND HER ANCESTORS, AN INTRODUCTION TO MY JUDAICA ART, SHOP AND SHOP, RONNIE’S ALARM CLOCK, HEAVENLY GARDENS, HOLOCAUST PAINTINGS, HOMO SAPIENS, SELF PORTRAITS OF A HOLOCAUST ARTIST, YOUR GRANDPA, MY BIRTHDAY, THE FUTURE, and QUEEN ESTHER. Judith Weinshall Liberman’s archives can be found in the Arts Department of the Boston Public Library and at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art. ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR THE VISIT TO LATRUN is the twenty-ninth book on which Judith Weinshall Liberman, the author, has collaborated with Gail Davis, the illustrator. Since Ms. Liberman did not feel that, in light of her deteriorated eyesight, she could do justice to illustrating THE VISIT TO LATRUN herself, she selected a fine artist, Ms. Gail Davis, to create the illustrati ons under the author’s guidance. The two had previously collaborated on THE LITTLE FAIRY, THE VERY OLD PAINTER AND HER HUSBAND, ANGEL’S PUPPIES, THE GIANT HOUSE, THE MOUNTAIN, THE TUNNEL, THE OLD DOLL, FIFTEEN FABLES, TWELVE MORE FABLES, A PARAKEET FOR ERIC, TALES OF HUMAN FOIBLES, IN THE MILITRY CEMETERY, MORE TALES OF HUMAN FOIBLES, MICHAEL AND THE FLAG, IF I HAD THE POWER, IF I WERE RICH, THE WHIRLPOOL, THE LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET, TALE OF THE ROMAN NUMERALS, THE BRIDGE, GRANDMA’S GLASSES, THE RAINBOW, THE TRAIN, THE WAIING WALL, THE BLANKET, EXPULSION, THE SINKING OF THE PATRIA and BEN AND THE BISHOP. In the present book, Ms. Davis beautifully captures the spirit of the story and of its characters.