"A delicate contemporary tale about the quiddities of love and the perpetual mysteries of human motivations" from the bestselling Israeli author of Judas (Los Angeles Times).
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
At Tel-Kedar, a settlement in the Negev desert, the longtime love affair between Theo, a sixty-year-old civil engineer, and Noa, a young schoolteacher, is slowly disintegrating. When a pupil dies under difficult circumstances, the couple and the entire town are thrown into turmoil. Amos Oz explores with brilliant insight the possibilities-and limits-of love and tolerance.
"A rich symphony of humanity. . . If Oz's eye for detail is enviable, it is his magnanimity which raises him to the first rank of world authors." -Sunday Telegraph (UK)
"Vivid, convincing, and haunting." -The New York Times Book Review
"A vividly and affectionately detailed picture of Israeli village life-and of what might be called a JulyOctober relationship-by acclaimed essayist and novelist Oz. . . A perfectly pitched comedy, expertly translated, and one of Oz's most attractive and accomplished books." -Kirkus Reviews
"This novel, his 10th (after Fima), is set in Tel Kedar, a quiet desert town in the Negev that is both a microcosm of Israeli society and a vividly evoked setting whose atmosphere and residents are palpable. . . his story carries thought-provoking implications." -Publishers Weekly
"Skillfully alternating point of view between his two main characters, Oz shows us the painful process by which a couple uncouples, one sinew at a time." -Booklist
