‘Rebels in the Holy Land’ by Sam Finkel sounds inspirational. From the blurb on Amazon:
The farmers’ simple wish to observe the Sabbatical year of 1889-1890 despite their patron’s opposition thrust them into the swirling epicenter of worldwide controversy. Reviled by the Baron’s administrators, vilified in the press, ridiculed and nearly abandoned even by some of their religious countrymen, they stood firm. Their fight for what later became Mazkeret Batya sheds dazzling historical light on some of the very issues facing Israel today.
Here’s a book review from Jewish Action.