The story, which moves backwards chronologically comprises of five conversations each centring on the fate of a different member of the Mani family and in each case the responses of one person is absent; on a kibbutz in 1982, where a pregnant student tells her mother about her strange meeting in Jerusalem with Judge Mani; in occupied Crete in 1944, a German soldier tells of his experiences there with the Mani family; in British occupied Jerusalem in 1918 a British Jew briefs his commanding officer on the forthcoming trial of Yosef Mani; in Poland in 1899 a young doctor reports to his father of a journey to Jerusalem with his sister, who falls in love with Dr Moshe Mani; finally in Athens in 1848 Avraham Mani reports to his mentor about his trip to Jerusalem and the death there of his son, the first Yosef Mani.
Author Biography
AB Yehoshua is recognised internationally as one of Israel's top writers. He has been awarded the prestigious Israel Prize for his lifetime's creative contribution to Israel and the Jewish Quarterly.
