Ungebetene Gäste

Ayelet Gundar-Goshen stages an inner conflict that captivates both the characters and the readers alike. She creates a gripping psychodrama about guilt and revenge, about fleeing from responsibility, and about compassion that reveals itself in unexpected places. Naomi is not thrilled when she finds herself alone with her one-year-old son Uri and an Arab handyman in her apartment in Tel Aviv. Her husband Juval has hired him to renovate their balcony while he is at work. She feels uncomfortable in the presence of the stranger, especially since Uri is supposed to be taking his morning nap and is starting to get fussy. While she prepares coffee, a commotion suddenly erupts in the street outside the house; a teenager has been struck dead by a falling hammer. Naomi quickly realizes that her son must have pushed the hammer off the balcony in an unattended moment. However, the suspicion does not fall on the Israeli family but on the Arab worker. When he is soon taken away for questioning, Naomi feels paralyzed and cannot bring herself to tell the truth. A story that begins with an innocent cup of coffee turns into a dangerous journey between city and village, where none of the participants remain as they were.