Zelda Shluker of Hadassah Magazine, the largest circulation Jewish periodical in North America, did a summer "round-up of new thrills and chills" and included an insightful review of Drop By Drop. It's interesting though, that as perceptive as the review might be, there's no good quote that can be pulled out of it. Please let me know what you think of the review.
Drop By Drop: A Thriller
When Sam Rockman’s pregnant wife, Rachel, is killed in a terrorist explosion at San Francisco airport, his life and psyche are upended: He leaves his position as a professor of history at Stanford to become staff director to a senior member on the Intelligence Committee. The usually liberal Rockman is so angry he is ready to support a bill that will let the C.I.A. and the military operate inside the United States against terrorists.
But the administration is trigger-happy. After hazardous material is found in a Florida highway crash—the administration says the trail leads to a Russian source by way of Sudan—the president has bombers and cruise missiles ready to attack Sudan. There is a strong movement afoot to repeal the 22nd amendment, to allow the tough anti-terror president to run for a third term.
The plot of Drop By Drop is not inherently Jewish, but Sam is, and you are reminded of this throughout; when the president, who invites Sam (who becomes a target of a killer) to head the national anti-terrorism effort, worries that having so many Jews on his staff will trigger paranoia “out there.” Though Sam believes Judaism is less about that you think and more about what you do, his desperate search for tikkun olam is part of learning how to live with his grief.
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