GONE WITH THE WAR

Pulitzer-winner Nathan Thrall's latest book humanises the Israel-Palestine conflict through the story of a father's search for his son

- ANJULY MATHAI

Thirteen years ago, five-year-old Milad Salama almost did not get on the school bus for his class trip, simply because of his father Abed's carelessness. Only the night before, his wife Haifa had asked him whether he had paid the hundred shekels for the trip. He had in fact forgotten. Milad had been talking about the trip for days and Abed did not want to disappoint his son. He sped to Milad's school, and crossed the metal gate to the lobby, telling the secretary he wanted to pay for the trip.

"It's too late," she said. "We're closed." Luckily, Abed found a teacher he knew who facilitated the payment. He sighed in relief. Milad would not miss his picnic. He did not know then the cruel blow that fate was about to deal him. If only the school had been closed.... If only he had not met the teacher.... If only his son had not gotten on the bus that, in a few hours, would crash into a semitrailer, flip over and go up in flames, killing six Palestinian kindergarteners and a teacher.