“They seemed the most unlikely of friends, even beyond the obvious, one being Israeli, the other Palestinian.”
Rami and Bassam’s story is humbling. Centered around the Israeli-Palestine conflict, Rami and Bassam relive the day that each of their daughters died at the hands of a oppressive barrier that has effected more than just a perimeter. After each lose a daughter to violence, they learn to find solace in their grief and overcome the boundaries defined by their government.
“…everyone knew at least one child who was killed, and most of us knew several. You get used to it, sometimes you think it’s normal.”
It is a somber read with graphic gory scenes from beginning to end. Rami and Bassam’s recollections and revelations were heartbreaking. Just when I thought my heart couldn’t break anymore, it did. But the power and value behind the words is undeniable.
(The speeches they gave on pages 217-240 were unequivocal and would provide great dialogue for panel discussions and Socratic Seminars.)
There are only sections; most sections are about a paragraph in length, some sections are one sentence, some might be a small photo, though other sections are the length of a regular chapter. With a total of 1,001 sections, there are no chapters or parts.
It is a blend of fiction and nonfiction. For example: the story will be describing the anniversary of the time of deaths for the girls, so the very next section then discusses how the Greeks measured time in antiquity. Or, another example: there is a flashback when Salwa and her daughter are watching Arabian horses, so the next section goes into facts about Arabian horses. The fiction and nonfiction weave back and forth relying on each other. It jigsaws, using the previous section to build on the next section. The sequence is ornamental but blends cohesively.
I loved the book. It changed the way I think. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. It had a profound impact on me.
“Truth is, you can’t have a humane occupation. It just doesn’t exist. It can’t. It’s about control.”
Visit Colum McCan’s website.
The Hollywood Reporter describes Colum McCan’s novel, Apeirogon.
Read The Guardian’s review of Apeirogon.
Colum McCan won the National Book Award for his 2009 novel, Let The Great World Spin.
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