Panther in the Basement
Set in 1947 Jerusalem, Oz's (Don't Call It Night, LJ 6/15/96) delightful story of a 12-year-old boy addresses the concepts of friendship, betrayal, and the meaning of loyalty. As second-in-command of a make-believe underground unit fighting the British domination of Palestine, Proffy is willing to make heroic sacrifices in the struggle to create a Jewish state. The trouble is that he also develops a friendship with a rather shy, gentle British soldier interested in learning Hebrew?the discovery of which leads his comrades to accuse him of treason "because you love the enemy....Loving the enemy, Proffy, is worse than betraying secrets....[It] is the height of treachery." Filled with marvelous word play ("What connection is there between defect and descent...saboteur and stabber, mole and rat?") that has been admirably rendered by the translator, this novel makes us stop and consider the meaning of the words themselves. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.-?David W. Henderson, Eckerd Coll. Lib., St. Petersberg, Fla.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.