"e;A delicate contemporary tale about the quiddities of love and the perpetual mysteries of human motivations"e; from the bestselling Israeli author of Judas (Los Angeles Times). A New York Times Notable Book of the YearAt Tel-Kedar, a settlement in the Negev desert, the longtime love affair between Theo, a sixty-year-old civil engineer, and Noa, a young schoolteacher, is slowly disintegrating. When a pupil dies under difficult circumstances, the couple and the entire town are thrown into turmoil. Amos Oz explores with brilliant insight the possibilities and limits of love and tolerance. "e;A rich symphony of humanity . . . If Oz's eye for detail is enviable, it is his magnanimity which raises him to the first rank of world authors."e; Sunday Telegraph (UK)"e;Vivid, convincing, and haunting."e; The New York Times Book Review"e;A vividly and affectionately detailed picture of Israeli village life and of what might be called a JulyOctober relationship by acclaimed essayist and novelist Oz . . . A perfectly pitched comedy, expertly translated, and one of Oz's most attractive and accomplished books."e; Kirkus Reviews"e;This novel, his 10th (after Fima), is set in Tel Kedar, a quiet desert town in the Negev that is both a microcosm of Israeli society and a vividly evoked setting whose atmosphere and residents are palpable . . . his story carries thought-provoking implications."e; Publishers Weekly"e;Skillfully alternating point of view between his two main characters, Oz shows us the painful process by which a couple uncouples, one sinew at a time."e; Booklist