The novel follows a dual pattern. Lenny Peleg, a veteran of the Yom Kippur War and erstwhile businessman, goes missing in South America. Dori his son, a history teacher, leaves his wife and young son in Israel to go in search of him. 

Israel’s leaders today blamed the Hamas-led Palestinian government for the worst suicide bombing in 20 months but decided against launching a large-scale military operation, an apparent attempt to avoid escalating violence in Israel’s showdown with the Islamic militant group.