CW: abuse. I want to call this out because it is a major theme throughout the book, and honestly, I might not have picked it up if I’d known that. That said, I’m so glad that I read this book.

I admittedly don’t know nearly as much as I should about the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and while that isn’t the focus of the novel, it certainly piqued my curiosity. That’s part of what I appreciated about this book: that I’m going to be thinking about aspects of it for a long time. I’m also a sucker for a novel told from multiple viewpoints, and I thought that one of the central themes being shame was powerful.

Something that’s super weird to me: how many reviewers were confused by the ending. I thought it was perfect and utterly heartbreaking.