Said perfectly captured the feeling of never quite being at home, from uncomfortable family dynamics, alienation in adolescent, and the dispossession he and his Palestinian relatives experienced. 

I didn’t expect the memoir to include the upsides of always being out of place, which it did as much as it explored the pain in constant movement and dislocation. I wish more time had been spent on his adult years, especially his academic writings, trips, eventual return to Egypt, developments in Palestine, and threats against his life, but it was interesting to see his early years and some of how his politics developed. With Palestine facing new horrors daily, it was especially heart-wrenching to see the length and variety of impacts of the occupation.