After the DISAPPEARANCE

In 1955, beloved journalist Benny Sasson travels to Jerusalem, gets off at the central bus station, and disappears. His wife, Rena, his mother, Malka, and his thirteen-year-old daughter Zohara are the heartbeat of a relentless search, joined by friends, Benny's newspaper, and the police. Benny's disappearance exposes old resentments in a close-knit town, testing loyalties, friendships, and trust. Rumors about what happened become reckless. A surprise visitor from America uncovers buried family pain and awakens compassion. The search for Benny is marked by the sorrow of the Holocaust, the impact of the 1948 war, Israeli women's fight for inclusion, struggles over the rights of Arab workers, and a divided Jerusalem. As the mystery is resolved, revelations spread from East Jerusalem to Israel's Knesset. The novel's mystery and a young girl's coming-of-age unfold against the backdrop of the new and evolving Israeli society of the 1950s and illuminate issues that remain unresolved today.