Each time, there is fear of humiliation, or something much worse. The book is not just about the tragedies, but also the way the hostilities infiltrate the lives of Palestinian and Israeli communities on a day-to-day basis, like when one has to cross a checkpoint and is stopped by guards. The two toured the world spreading their message about the humanity of the other, and the truly awful cost of conflict and hate in their homeland. While the deaths of their children could have cemented the fathers’ hostilities against the other, in fact, they strengthened their resolve to bring an end to the conflict. It all builds a picture of a people, scarred. Interspersed are morsels about the history of the region, like the passages about a tightrope walker traversing a valley with a dove in the name of peace. It is a story of war, family, grief and hope.Īpeirogon focuses on the stories of two men who lost children to the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, one by a bullet and one by a bombing. This novel made me understand the tragedy of the fighting for the individuals born into a place of such hostility and ancient grievance.Ĭolum McCann’s book tells of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and the humans that, despite the worst happening to them, are able to rise above it. This was brought home even more so after conflict resumed in the region. I didn’t find myself excitedly reaching for it or wanting to keep reading deep into the night.īut the more I think about it, the more grateful I am that I did pick it up and make myself finish it. Apeirogon is by no means a comfortable or enjoyable read.

Apeirogon novel reviews