A Day in the Life of Abed Salama

A Palestine Story

Format: Paperback
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WINNER OF THE 2024 PULITZER PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE
LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE

'A deeply immersive portrait of daily life in Israel and the West Bank' The Best Books to Understand the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Financial Times

'Brims over with just the sort of compassion and understanding that is needed at a time like this … a book that speaks with deep and authentic truth of ordinary lives trapped in the jaws of history' Observer

A gripping, intimate story of one heartbreaking day in Palestine that reveals lives, loves, enmities, and histories in violent collision


Milad is five years old and excited for his school trip to a theme park on the outskirts of Jerusalem, but tragedy awaits: his bus is involved in a horrific accident. His father, Abed, rushes to the chaotic site, only to find Milad has already been taken away. Abed sets off on a journey to learn Milad's fate, navigating a maze of physical, emotional, and bureaucratic obstacles he must face as a Palestinian.

Interwoven with Abed's odyssey are the stories of Jewish and Palestinian characters whose lives and pasts unexpectedly converge: a kindergarten teacher and a mechanic who rescue children from the burning bus; an Israeli army commander and a Palestinian official who confront the aftermath at the scene of the crash; a settler paramedic; ultra-Orthodox emergency service workers; and two mothers who each hope to claim one severely injured boy.

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama is a deeply immersive, stunningly detailed portrait of life in Israel and Palestine, and an illumination of the reality of one of the most contested places on earth.

A TIME, NEW STATESMAN AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

Write a Review
  • 5
    A day in the Life of Abed Salama

    Posted by Thomas Kerr on 24th Sep 2024

    An amazing account of life in the Palestine West Bank under Israel occupation. Nathan Thrall conveys in minute detail the heartache and despair for the majority of Palestinians segregated in this area of the world. Everyone should read this book to better understand the Israeli/Palestinian problem…

    An amazing account of life in the Palestine West Bank under Israel occupation. Nathan Thrall conveys in minute detail the heartache and despair for the majority of Palestinians segregated in this area of the world. Everyone should read this book to better understand the Israeli/Palestinian problem.

  • 5
    Moving

    Posted by Jenny on 4th Sep 2024

    I purchased the book to support the writer, the Palestinian cause and The Guardian but I haven't had the heart yet to read it. The topic is hard to digest.

  • 5
    A day in the life of Abed Salama

    Posted by Sylvia on 4th Sep 2024

    Bought as I had read an article about it and the author in the Guardian. Very poïgnant and heartfelt. Anything which helps one understand what it means to live in that tumultuous region has to be taken for the sake of its desperate inhabitants

  • 5
    Powerful, moving, important- should be read by everyone who is watching the situation in Israel/Gaza.

    Posted by Frances Ham on 1st Sep 2024

    Beautifully written and devastating subject matter.

Authors:
Thrall, Nathan
Format:
Paperback
ISBN:
9781802060041
Publication Date:
01/08/2024
Publisher:
Penguin Books Ltd
Year Published:
2024
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Number of Pages:
272
Language:
English
SKU:
9781802060041

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