Bassam Aramin is Palestinian. Rami Elhanan is Israeli. They inhabit a world of conflict that colors every aspect of their daily lives, from the roads they travel, to the schools their daughters attend, to the checkpoints, both physical and emotional, they must negotiate. Their worlds shift irreparably after 10-year-old Abir is killed by a rubber bullet and 13-year-old Smadar becomes the victim of suicide bombers. When Bassam and Rami learn of each other’s stories, they recognize the loss that connects them and they attempt to use their grief as a weapon for peace. McCann crafts Apeirogon out of a universe of fictional and nonfictional material. He crosses centuries and continents, stitching together time, art, history, nature, and politics in a tale both heartbreaking and hopeful.
McCann is also the author of the novels Dancer, Songdogs, This Side of Brightness, Zoli, and TransAtlantic, longlisted for the Booker Prize, plus two story collections, including the acclaimed Thirteen Ways of Looking. He is also co-founder of Narrative 4, the nonprofit global story exchange organization.