Don't Call It Night

In this winsome novel, Amos Oz returns to the Jerusalem of his youth during the wanting days of the British mandate. The book is the story of Proffi, a 12-year-old who dreams of dying in battle, who becomes like "an excited panther in the basement, seething with oaths and vows, knowing exactly . . . to what he will dedicate his life . . ". But when his comrades accuse him of treason for his friendship with Sergeant Dunlop--a fat, good-natured British soldier--Proffi must ponder the meaning of loyalty.