A box arrived on my doorstep today from an unknown address. Curious, I opened it, expecting a belated birthday gift from the grandparents or school clothes for the kids. Instead, I found copies of my book, What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife?
Here's what it looks like:
This book, which has been a long time in the making, is due out from Oneworld Publications on
August 22 in the U.K. and
September 10 in the U.S. (Amazon links).
With the book in hand, I'm finally realizing that -- yes -- it's going to be out in the world soon. I know I haven't written much about it lately, and I will as the publication date nears, but I wanted to share this bit of personal news. Particularly since many here in this community have been so supportive.
For those who don't know what the book is about, this is from my website:
In the summer of 2002, during historic cease-fire negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, a bomb shrieked through Hebrew University's cafeteria. My wife, Jamie, was hurled across the room, her body burned and pierced by shrapnel, the friends with whom she was sitting killed instantly.
The bombing sent me on a psychological journey which, years later, led me to East Jerusalem and the childhood home of the Hamas terrorist who set everything in motion.
Not out of revenge. Out of desperation.
This is the story of one man's personal attempt to heal by understanding his enemy – an enemy who inexplicably expressed remorse upon being captured by Israeli police. It is the story of reconciliation between an American Jew – made uncomfortable by his leftist quest – and the perpetrator's East Jerusalem family. And it is the story of digging, of unearthing shadowy decisions made by Israel which undermined a (possibly) historic cease-fire attempt by Hamas just days before the Hebrew University attack.
This book is a story embedded within a larger historical story: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which refuses to end.
I'm going to write something more substantive and original in a month or so, but for now, I just want to say thank you.