Adania Shibli

A searing, beautiful novel meditating on war, violence, memory, and the sufferings of the Palestinian people Minor Detail begins during the summer of 1949, one year after the war that the Palestinians mourn as the Nakba—the catastrophe that led to the displacement and exile of some 700,000 people—and the Israelis celebrate as the War of Independence. Israeli soldiers murder an encampment of Bedouin in the Negev desert, and among their victims they capture a Palestinian teenager and they rape her, kill her, and bury her in the sand. Many years later, in the near-present day, a young woman in Ramallah tries to uncover some of the details surrounding this particular rape and murder, and becomes fascinated to the point of obsession, not only because of the nature of the crime, but because it was committed exactly twenty-five years to the day before she was born. Adania Shibli masterfully overlays these two translucent narratives of exactly the same length to evoke a present forever haunted by the past.

Minor Detail

aywen

I recognize several of them; some of my colleagues and acquaintances originate from there, from the villages of Lifta, al-Qastal, Ein Karem, al-Mallha, al-Jura, Abu Shusha, Siris, Innaba, Jimzu, and Dair Tarif. But the majority of the names are unfamiliar to me, to the extent that they invoke a feeling of estrangement. Khirbat al-Ammour, Bir Ma’in, al-Burj, Khirbat al-Buwayra, Beit Shanna, Salbit, al-Qubab, al-Kanisa, Kharrouba, Khirbat Zakariyya, Bariyya, Dair Abu Salama, Al-Na’ani, Jindas, Hadatha, Abu al-Fadl, Kisla, and many others. I look at the Israeli map again. A very large park called Canada Park now extends over the area where all these villages used to be.

the moment she was wondering where the chewing gum was i knew this would happen, but even though i knew they'd kill her, i'm writing this with eyes full of tears. She got killed in the same place the girl 25 years before her birth got killed, and i bet this is going to be another minor detail no one cares about. I wonder where the old woman and the dog went though, i'm so sad this ended this way, i wish she asked the woman or followed the dog instead, but this ending, although it shouldn't be, is the most realistic.

blue

I reach my hand toward my pocket, for the pack of chewing gum. And suddenly, something like a sharp flame pierces my hand, then my chest, followed by the distant sound of gunshots.

This illustrated the violence behind a "grammar book" (Hortense Spillers). Communicating through regurgitation 

 a sort of violence, especially when the "thread" that's being stitched is constructed by, and thus benefits, the oppressor.

Iyad Chowdhury

And he begins speaking in a voice so calm and clear, so untouched by stuttering, stammering, or rambling, that it feels as if he is smoothly unraveling a delicate thread, one which cannot easily be cut.

the author is really smart with the use of "minor detail". On one hand, the one thing that piqued this person's interest was the date of the incident which is a minor detail. But on the other hand, the gang rape of a girl seems to be treated like a minor detail in this world, when talking about war and occupation, politicians seem to believe death and rape and starvation is collateral damage therefore every story is nothing but a minor detail. It's really sad how normalized such atrocities are.

As for the incident mentioned in the article, the fact that the specific detail that piqued my interest was the date on which it occurred was perhaps because there was nothing really unusual about the main details, especially when compared with what happens daily in a place dominated by the roar of occupation and ceaseless killing. And bombing that building is just one example. Even rape. That doesn’t only happen during war, but also in everyday life. Rape, or murder, or sometimes both; I’ve never been preoccupied with incidents like these before. Even this incident in which, according to the article, several people were killed, only began to haunt me because of a detail about one of the victims. To a certain extent, the only unusual thing about this killing, which came as the final act of a gang rape, was that it happened on a morning that would coincide, exactly twenty-five years later, with the morning I was born. That is it.

disgusting; once barbaric always barbaric.

“We cannot stand to see vast areas of land, capable of absorbing thousands of our people in exile, remain neglected; we cannot stand to see our people unable to return to our homeland. This place, which now seems barren, with nothing aside from infiltrators, a few Bedouins, and camels, is where our forefathers passed thousands of years ago. And if the Arabs act according to their sterile nationalist sentiments and reject the idea of us settling here, if they continue to resist us, preferring that the area remain barren, then we will act as an army. No one has more right to this area than us, after they neglected it and left it abandoned for so long, after they let it be seized by the Bedouins and their animals. It is our duty to prevent them from being here and to expel them for good. After all, Bedouins only uproot, they do not plant things, and their livestock devour every bit of vegetation that lies before them, reducing, day by day, the very few green areas that do exist. We, however, will do everything in our power to give these vast stretches the chance to bloom and become habitable, instead of leaving them as they are now, desolate and empty of people. “And it is here, in particular, that our creativity and innovation will be tested, once we succeed in turning the Negev into a flourishing, civilized region and a thriving center of learning, development, and culture, as we have done in the northern and central regions. For although it now seems completely arid, these expanses of desert will gradually recede with the planting of trees, and as our people engage in agricultural and industrial ventures, which will enable them to live here. But to realize all this, we must first conquer this area’s fiercest and most destructive enemies and protect it as best as we can. And our presence here is the first step toward fulfilling this vision

it's fiction but it's not really. They're so inhumane, always killing on sight and investigating later. In this fictional book, it's camels, a dog and people; in Gaza, it's kids, hospital staff and journalists. 

They found no weapons. The two sergeants and soldiers combed the area several times, to no avail.

gitsa

personal library, bought from greenlight bookstore fort greene

Patricia K

andi ☆

absolutely heartbreaking, even in its smallest details. my stomach and heart ached. 

This was a very emotional but important read. Some parts made me feel immensely sad and heartbroken, while others enraged and frustrated me. I felt upset and I kept wondering how different my life would be, had I been born under those conditions. I loved the book's ability to evoke many emotions in me and, I really enjoyed the different POV's. Reading from the soldier's perspective goes on to show how fucked up rapists and murderers are - being able to 'read their mind' only solidifies my stance, nothing could justify their cruel actions. I felt for the girl, and the dog was such a nice addition. 

 As for the investigator, I admire her courage and grief for her ending. 

 There could be no better title for this beautiful work, it sums up the story perfectly. Lastly, I appreciate how the story sheds light on the Palestinian struggle, but also on how the world views sexual assault.

This was a very emotional but important read. Some parts made me feel immensely sad and heartbroken, while others enraged and frustrated me. I felt upset and I kept wondering how different my life would be, had I been born under those conditions. I loved the book's ability to evoke many emotions in me and, I really enjoyed the different POV's. Reading from the soldier's perspective goes on to show how fucked up rapists and murderers are - being able to 'read their mind' only solidifies my stance, nothing could justify their cruel actions. I felt for the girl, and the dog was such a nice addition. SPOILER ALERT As for the investigator, I admire her courage and grief for her ending. SPOILER END There could be no better title for this beautiful work, it sums up the story perfectly. Lastly, I appreciate how the story sheds light on the Palestinian struggle, but also on how the world views sexual assault.

Minor Detail

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