Minor Detail

A very short but powerful story, which - despite me knowing what kind of story I was getting into from the blurb - was getting so heavy in times I had to take breaks because it made me so nauseous. I can't say I particularly enjoyed reading this book, but to be fair that's also not the point of this story and I would still very much recommend it! The story is split into two parts. The first one is told in third person; emotionless, silent, detailed without being graphic and with a constantly building anxiety. First I thought that this would make it hard for me to emotionally connect with the story, but it actually made the horrific acts all the more harrowing, because there was no human voice trying to give reason to their decisions. The second part is written from the point of view of a young woman about 40 years later reading about the events and feeling an obsessive need to investigate. The narration is in stark contrast to the first part in its constant flow of thoughts devoid of much structure or pause for reflection, but it offeres a glimpse into the trauma and silent confinement of occupied Palestine and everything that entails. There are a lot of repeating and contrasting images weaving everything together, but ultimately, regardless of their complex lives, all these nameless characters just turn into minor details in a complicated history.