Friday Faces: Book Club — Apeirogon

Are you enjoying our Friday Faces: Book Club? We still have a few more books and more staff to introduce you to. Today we have a smaller group as we take a look at Apeirogon by Colum McCann. Read this brief synopsis of the book and then enjoy getting to know more of our amazing Team SLOCA. 

Colum McCann calls Apeirogon a “hybrid novel,” in which its stance on both sides and neither is used to address the entrenched positions of the Middle East. The title is taken from the mathematical term for an object of an “observably infinite number of sides,” a shape that serves as a model for a new way of thinking about a conflict that is too often reduced to simple, opposed positions.

Apeirogon takes its inspiration from the real-life friendship between a Palestinian, Bassam Aramin, and an Israeli, Rami Elhanan: “An Israeli, against the occupation. A Palestinian, studying the Holocaust.” “The men are united in their grief – they lost their daughters: Smadar, turned into “a scattered human jigsaw” at the age of 13 by a suicide bomber, and Abir, assassinated aged 10 by a trigger-happy member of the Israeli army. Both men join the Parents Circle, a group of the fellow-bereaved who unite in their sorrow to press for a peaceful resolution to the conflict: “This became their jobs: to tell the story of what happened to their girls.”

The deaths of Smadar and Abir are interlaced with a host of other tales that enter into a strange and powerful dialogue with the stories of these two girls who had barely begun to live yet. For all of its grief, Apeirogon is a novel that buoys the heart. The friendship of Bassam and Rami is a thing of great and sustaining beauty.

Why should someone add this book to their reading list?

• Stephanie: This book gives very real and raw insight into the lives of two men in Palestine and Israel. It gives the reader a better perspective and understanding of the area, the conflict, the people, and the tension within the area, as well.
• Pamela: It opens windows to a world previously unknown, “even that which has not yet been imagined”. It is true and it is applicable to our world currently in crisis. It helps you to understand that no matter where you are in the world when all is said and done, we want the same or very similar things, to just live out our lives and raise our children in peace, in love, and with hope. Everyone has their own personal history and we can learn from that individual if we take the time to pause, to listen, and to show love. I love this book, I love the story it tells; two fathers, one an Israeli and one a Palestinian, both have lost their daughters at very young ages to the age-old conflict.
• Wendy: Apeirogon will give you a look into the lives of 2 men who are meant to be enemies according to their government, but become friends over traumatic events that take place in their lives. It couldn’t be a more relevant read in our day in age. The themes of mercy, empathy, kindness, and the importance of knowing an individual, not grouping them with others prevails throughout the story.

“It will not be over until we talk”.  Misunderstandings, conflicts, arguing, and even fighting will continue until talking with one another begins.

— Aperiogon by Colum McCann

How did this book impact you? 

• Stephanie: Even though this is an area I know a lot about, the courage of these men to be petitioning for peace really sticks with me. They were going against the societal norms to advocate for something that they knew was better for everyone – even though the others could not see it.
• Pamela: This is, at times, a painful book to read yet a beautiful book with so much to teach me/us. Don’t think you understand a situation simply by reading or hearing one side of an issue. You never truly understand an issue until you dig into the history of the people, the individuals on each side. Apeirogon: a shape with a countably infinite number of sides. Never underestimate the lifelong pain one feels after losing a child; “My life became a message.” Peace is worth pursuing and persevering through the pain.
• Wendy: This book has challenged me to hear the stories of others, to be careful not to assume who they are, what they think, what they feel, or what their actions mean until I spend the time getting to know them personally. I hope to grow in empathy for others that are different from me, acknowledging that we are all human trying to figure out this thing called life.

We cannot imagine the harm we’re doing by not listening to one another and I mean this on every level. It is immeasurable…

— Aperiogon by Colum McCann

What is your go-to reading spot? 

• Stephanie: I like to curl up on the sofa with my tea or coffee on the table next to me. We have a deep, flat sofa, so it is perfect for curling up to read. Often a kid or two will join me, or already be there, and that is the best!
• Pamela: By the sea so I can look up and see the expanse of the ocean and ponder what I have read. But I usually end up reading at home late at night in a comfy chair or in bed.
• Wendy: My patio…I love sitting out there in the sunshine. We have hummingbirds, butterflies, a fountain, and flower gardens that surround our patio and it’s so peaceful out there for me.

What kind of car did you wish you had when you were a kid? What about now?

• Stephanie: I had a 1980 Volvo 240DL… and I actually liked it. We called it the tank. I do not remember ever wishing for something else. Now, I want to have a Volvo again. I had a Volvo most of my life, but last year we went with a different make for me. It was a better decision for us now, but I will be happiest when I am in a Volvo again.
• Pamela: Then, a boat. Now, when possible, my bike.
• Wendy: A Jeep…still want that Jeep.:)

It is always so fun to get to know our staff! Thank you to these fabulous ladies for sharing with us today.