Rent The Attack

Synopsis

A deadly bomb hidden inside a woman's fake pregnant stomach tears a Tel Aviv restaurant to pieces. Dr. Amin Jaafari, an Arab-Israeli surgeon, toils throughout the day to treat the steady stream of maimed and dying blast victims. But the final shock is more than he can handle: the mangled corpse of the suicide bomber turns out to be his own wife. Jaafari has devoted his whole life to living as a respectable member of Israeli society despite constant suspicion and intolerance. Suddenly, his entire world is turned upside down, and he embarks on a harrowing journey to Bethlehem to discover how his seemingly happy wife could commit such an act. Yasmina Khadra (a pseudonym adopted by Mohammed Moulessehoul while he lived in Algeria) has written a rare and illuminating novel. It reads with the uncluttered momentum of a thriller yet contains the terrible insight of philosophy or poetry. Many books have sought to understand the psychology of the suicide-bomber, but Khadra's lean novel, by making the enemy a loved one, brings us closest to the extremist's dark heart.

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