Apeirogon by Colum McCann
I read Apeirogon because it was the ‘book of the year’ last year for a relative. It is fact-based fiction; the story of two men, one Israeli, one Palestinian, both of whom have lost a daughter to political violence. It tells their tragic stories and contains reflections on history, geography, friendship, politics, wildlife, nature, art, family, the power of hatred and forgiveness. This is done in an unusual way in segments of varying length and in prose that is powerful and memorable. Reviewer Alex Preston, Observer, wrote: ‘If you can read it without sobbing, you are a monster.’ It has created a lot of comment and praise as a magnificent achievement; reading it was for me a moving experience.
Reviewed by Ruth Mogg, Casino Library member.