Minor Detail

By: Adania Shibli, Elisabeth Jaquette - translator

Narrated by: Siiri Scott

A searing, beautiful novel meditating on war, violence, memory, and the sufferings of the Palestinian people

Minor Detail begins during the summer of 1949, one year after the war that the Palestinians mourn as the Nakba - the catastrophe that led to the displacement and exile of some 700,000 people - and the Israelis celebrate as the War of Independence. Israeli soldiers murder an encampment of Bedouin in the Negev desert, and among their victims, they capture a Palestinian teenager, and they rape her, kill her, and bury her in the sand.

Many years later, in the near-present day, a young woman in Ramallah tries to uncover some of the details surrounding this particular rape and murder, and becomes fascinated to the point of obsession, not only because of the nature of the crime, but because it was committed exactly 25 years to the day before she was born. Adania Shibli masterfully overlays these two translucent narratives of exactly the same length to evoke a present forever haunted by the past.

Contains mature themes.

©2016 Adania Shibli; English translation copyright 2020 by Elisabeth Jaquette (P)2021 Tantor

Heart breaking

This is such a terrible reality for so many. That ending will stay with me for a long time.

Absolutely necessary and absolutely heartbreaking

This is a beautiful piece of writing. The story broke my heart, but also opened my eyes to how the authors people have been living under occupation all of these years.

Adania has earned her award and deserves to receive it.

Free Palestine.

The details of life in Palestine. it's like the hunger games. how can the world not see what is in front of the

truly an eye opener to the extent of life for the past 100 years in occupied Palestine. I am truly sorry the world has turned a blind eye to the people of Palestine

still a story for our times, sadly

As heartbreaking as I expected, it's precisely written. As important today as it ever was.

powerful

this book offers great insight into a history and a current reality. so necessary, thank you for the writing and the narration! truly powerful.