Book description
On the surface this is about 2 boys, one jewish and the other arab who along with a multiply handicapped old man help raise a rare species in a ravine. The background is the six day war.
A near to extinct gazelle finds its way to a lost valley where an outcast arab decides it is a test of god for him to save the species and raise a herd. There follows many more impossibilities and a highly biased account of the six day war but surprisingly a simpathetic character in the young Bedouin Musallem.
What allegorical meanings there are in the events depicted (as there are clearly meant to be some) are to me of secondary importance and it is the well-crafted interplay of characters which is this book’s strength. Their emotions and conflicted loyalties give an insight into the background of the continuing problems in this area…
