Stepping Stones - A Historical Novel by Rochel Istrin

A Russian agent… A former partisan… Kibbutz secrets Yuri Brenner. Former KGB agent and partisan, now working for the Shin Bet. Living in Bnei Brak, married to his mentor’s widow, building a new family and a new life. But – can he ever find his place? Pavel Neumann. Red Army soldier, a drifter, never quite settled. After meeting up again with his best friend and commander from the war, he comes to the fledgling State of Israel, trying to figure himself out. The twists his life then takes are beyond his imagination… Nechama. Her early childhood a hazy fog, she was adopted as a war orphan by Kibbutz Asif and believes this will be her home forever, her safety net that encompasses her past, present and future. But will it remain so? Kibbutz Asif. Hidden secrets, hidden children. What is going on behind the idyllic scenes of farm life so innocuously hidden away in this far corner of Israel? In Stepping Stones, Rochel Istrin, a master of historical fiction, takes us back to WWII’s aftermath and the early years in Israel. Everyone has their past to deal with as they etch out a new path for themselves. Powerful, compelling, intense, Stepping Stones is a novel that will take you on a gripping tale of action and inner growth in which each of its characters goes through the stepping stones of their lives…while learning that change, though sometimes painful, ultimately blossoms into true meaning and fulfillment. Rochel Istrin is the author of Searching, Hidden, and co-author of Baby’s First Year. She writes regularly for several publications.