This was a tough read, emotionally. It was draining and repetitive to show just how draining and repetitive Isra and Deya's lives were. Now, don't make the mistake of thinking that Isra and Deya represent all of Palestinian Arab culture. They don't. No singular book could encapsulate a culture. Instead, they represent a small subset, an ideology that can and has permeated different cultures over time. I would have appreciated a little more of the beauty of Islam, but I did appreciate how both main characters realize how oppression is not Islam.
I'll be thinking about this book for awhile. Isra especially will stay with me. And that's the mark of a good book. It stays with you long after you put it down.