The story begins as Marina, the American-born wife of a jailed Palestinian activist, is detained while trying to cross into Jerusalem to get emergency help for her sick child. When the baby dies at the crossing, Ari, the Israeli officer who refused to let them through, is devastated. An international crisis ensues -- with Palestinians rioting and Israelis turning to their ace security chief to put the best "spin" on the situation. But it is Ari and Marina who must each break free of the political ramifications and come to terms with their private grief and guilt.

The characters in this tense page-turner are richly drawn. In addition to Marina and Ari, there is George, Marina's father, a world-renowned cardiologist with memories of his own expulsion from his home by the Israelis in 1948; Hassan, Marina's husband, a tender man with ties to a terrorist group; Yizhar, the Israeli security chief, who thrives on control; and Ahmed, an opportunistic Palestinian leader, who regards the dead child as a powerful political tool. A former Jerusalem correspondent for The New Yorker, Amy Wilentz thrusts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a personal, more painful, light, and proves herself an adept novelist in the process. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group 0-684-85436-8 / 9780684854366
Hardcover New Condition New York 

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