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

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. The relationship with the 2 mothers was also really interesting to see and their development was really enjoyable to witness- you could almost see them manipulating and breaking throughout different scenes. I also really enjoyed Sammie, he was quite comical, but also violent. The superb score includes Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True. The cast of the Blood Brothers 2022 Tour.

Few musicals have received quite such acclaim as the multi-award-winning Blood Brothers. Bill Kenwright’s production surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End, one of only three musicals ever to achieve that milestone. It has been affectionately christened the ‘Standing Ovation Musical’, as inevitably it “brings the audience cheering to its feet and roaring its approval” (The Daily Mail). Willy Russell was born in Whiston, on the outskirts of Liverpool, where he grew up. His parents worked in a book publisher's and often encouraged him to read. After leaving school with one O-level in English, he first became a ladies' hairdresser and ran his own salon. Russell then undertook a variety of jobs, also the first play he wrote was Keep Your Eyes Down Low (1975). His first success was a play about The Beatles called John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert. Originally commissioned for the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool was transferring to the West End in 1974. Educating Rita (1980) concerned a female hairdresser and her Open University teacher. The semi-autobiographical Educating Rita was turned into a 1983 film with Michael Caine and Julie Walters. The musical Blood Brothers (1983), for which Russell also composed the music, first opened in Liverpool and transferred to London's Phoenix Theatre. It won the best actress award at the Lawrence Olivier awards. Bill Kenwright produced a revival in 1988 which has run for more than twenty years; the show was produced on Broadway in 1993. Shirley Valentine, which first opened in Liverpool in 1986 before a new production opened in London in 1988 starring Pauline Collins. It was also made into a successful film, in 1989, again with Collins in the title role. Russell received BAFTA and Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for both Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine. 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. 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.

William Russell is a British dramatist, lyricist, and composer. His best-known works are Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine, and Blood Brothers. 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. 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.” Thanks mister Chacour for broadening, and changing, my perspective with your personal story. Thanks for emphasising the importance of a balanced stand against violence from all sides and thanks for reigniting a tiny glimmer of hope for peace when people who follow Jesus aim to be spokespeople for reconciliation.

This is both a memoir of the author's work in peacemaking, and a history of the unrest between Israel and Palestine. The West End production of Blood Brothers ran for 24 years where it became the third longest-running musical in West End running for over 10,000 performances.

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. 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?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. Revenge is the only thing that Anya Best wants. The talented criminal psychologist is heartbroken that the serial killer responsible for murdering her sister is still out there, and little if not effort is being put so that the killer can pay for his actions. Anya is prepared to do everything, including using herself as a bait to lure the killer from hiding. However, she knows that this is one feat that she cannot complete alone. She teams up with Heath as her fake fiancé as she knows that the serial killer who is obsessed with her will be forced to take action.

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. 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."Additionally, a past that he would also wish to forget is resurfacing and threatening to make his life even more difficult. It does not help that a beautiful woman that he has deep feelings for is in danger, and Ryker can do everything humanly possible to ensure that she is safe. Zara Remington is the woman Ryker is obsessed with. 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.