From celebrated Irish writer Colum McCann comes a dazzling new novel set in Occupied Palestine and Israel. In an astonishing feat of the imagination, McCann illuminates the political situation that has riven the region for more than seventy years in a completely new way, using a fascinating blend of real events and people and fictionalizing their stories. As the author says, “This is a hybrid novel with invention at its core, a work of storytelling which, like all storytelling, weaves together elements of speculation, memory, fact and imagination.”
Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian, and Rami Elhanan, an Israeli, come together after each has lost a daughter, one to suicide bombers and the other to Israeli police. Parents from both sides of the conflict whose loved ones have died gather in a parents’ circle to tell their stories, to heal and to ensure that their unimaginable losses are never forgotten.
Deploying myriad seemingly unrelated historical, cultural and biographical snapshots, this highly original and inventive novel reframes the never-ending Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The result is a breathtaking narrative based on true events.
McCann says, “Bassam and Rami have allowed me to shape and reshape their worlds. Despite these liberties, I hope to remain true to the actual realities of their shared experiences.”
Apeirogon is a completely mesmerizing novel. Driven by a compelling voice, Colum McCann has written a powerful and haunting narrative that is simply masterful in its universal implications.