3 Through History: Love in the Time of Republicans

Dimitri, a Russian expat, and Rafi, an Israeli,  meet on a kibbutz.  They have a lot in common  - math, music, girls -  but go on to live their lives apart – musical theater, lounge piano, a business analyst, music school, teacher - girlfriends and a wife for Rafi appear throughout. They renew their friend ship years later as teachers in Philadelphia.  3 Through History also tells the companion story of Frida's life, a vibrant woman from Puebla who is looking to make a success of herself. Frida studies theater, but becomes a business woman, using the principles from her father's book on relationship marketing to make a name for herself. One child, an abortion, and several relationships later, she meets Dimitri and Rafi online, but ends up with Dimitri as a lover and Rafi as a friend, much to Rafi's dismay. 

3 Through History is a finely detailed story about three different lives. The chapters are relatively short, but with little continuity, and with almost nothing in common among the three characters. It is almost as if the author is telling three different stories, with a connection only at the end. The descriptions of life in Mexico and Israel are interesting, but the extensive language references in Hebrew, Russian, and Spanish with no definition or explanation make it hard to follow the story. The story line also moves frequently among characters, events and time, often with unexplainable gaps. The ending draws the three friends together, as they struggle to find themselves and be there for each other.

Victoria Z. Burg