First published 2023
A school bus carrying Palestinian children crashes outside Jerusalem, leaving five-year-old Milad Salama's fate unknown. His father Abed rushes to find him but faces barriers at every turn. The wrong ID prevents him from crossing checkpoints. His papers deny him access to Jerusalem hospitals. The separation wall blocks his path. As Abed navigates this maze of restrictions, Thrall follows other lives touched by the accident. Jewish and Palestinian characters emerge whose stories intersect in unexpected ways. The book uses one devastating day to examine how the Israel-Palestine conflict shapes daily existence. Thrall shows how bureaucratic systems and physical barriers compound a parent's worst nightmare. Through Abed's search, readers encounter the human cost of political divisions. The narrative reveals how ordinary people on both sides live within structures of separation and control.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, contemporary, social-issues, middle-east, political-thriller
Vibes: emotional, gritty, heartbreaking, intimate, thought-provoking, urgent
Tropes: interconnected-narratives, multiple-perspectives, one-fateful-day, systemic-barriers
Setting: Jerusalem, Israel, Palestine, West Bank
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
272 pages · Paperback · Metropolitan
Content warnings: death, violence, war