Minor detail is a two-part novella narrated with contrasting voices and point of views. The first part is conveyed in the third person narrative about an Israeli soldier who is in command in Negev, Palestine, in 1949. He and his subordinates capture a young Bedouin girl, and abuse and rape her before murdering her. The events are narrated with the same nonchalance as explaining his daily habits, like bathing, eating and moving around in his room.