The two men come together across the violence and animosity between their two nations to go around the world giving lectures and holding conferences spreading peace, understanding, and how to utilize grief in a positive way. Rami is a Jewish man who was born in Israel and married into a well-heeled family that has some social capital in Israeli politics. Bassam is a Palestinian Muslim who was imprisoned by Israeli officials for seven years. In a non-linear fashion, the book details the story of their individual lives and how they came together as friends. Rami Elhanan, a graphic designer from Israel, meets up with Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian scholar. The novel hinges on a minor event in 2016.

The edition referenced is the 2020 publication by Random House. The novel received positive reviews and was longlisted for the Booker prize in 2020. Through the central story, the unique structure (the book is told in 1,001 sections), and the sheer breadth McCann attempts to tackle themes of constant violence, the universal quality of grief, and the interconnection between all living things. The telling of this story, in a non-linear fashion that McCann has employed in other novels, remains the backbone of the book however this core narrative is surrounded by historical events, anecdotes, references to literature, cinema, and other art forms. Rami’s daughter Smadar was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber and Bassam’s daughter Abir was killed by a rubber bullet shot by an Israeli border patrol officer. Both have dealt with extreme tragedy, namely the murder of their daughters. The two men come together, across the animosity and violence of their respective home nations, over a shared desire to spread a message of education, understanding, and the end of Israel’s occupation of Palestine. The book is centered on the true story of the friendship between Rami Elhanan, an Israeli, and Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian. Apeirogon, a novel written by Irish writer Colum McCann, was published in 2020.

Transatlantic colum mccann summary