(Fiction, 568 pp. Hebrew, 2001; English translation, 2004)
Yehoshua focuses on the family and professional life of a Haifa professor of Near Eastern Studies to reveal a web of relationships linking characters from diverse sectors of Israeli society. Rich in detail and humor, the novel deftly explores the deep divides in a complex country, illuminating the struggles of Jews and Arabs, and husbands and wives, to live together in peace.
Discussion guide from Yiddish Book Center
Discussion guide from ReadingGroupGuides.com
Review from Kirkus
Review by Richard Eder, New York Times, February 2, 2004
Review by Susan Miron, Forward, December 5, 2003
Review by Jonathan Shainin, Nation, July 5, 2004
Robert Rosenberg interviews Yehoshua, Forward, December 5, 2003
Bernard Horn interviews Yehoshua (excerpted from Facing the Fires: Conversations with A.B. Yehoshua)
Vered Shemtov interviews Yehoshua, Sh’ma, March 2004
Paul Holdengräber interviews Yehoshua (video: 95 min.)
