Not sure what I expected, and honestly better for it. I think I got the most from the discussions around the dangers of a particular kind of trauma-forged identity politics as they play out in Israel. I've been anti-Zionist as it plays out in Israel/Palestine since high school, and I think this book was what I needed to really embrace a more nuanced take and acknowledge the larger role segregation politics and our general (American) attitude towards minority groups has played into the misshaping of Israel's history. 

Worth the read for Klein's commentary on that alone, but it touches on discussions of so many relevant discussions in an accessible and interesting way.

The prose is honestly beautiful, but the length of this work is all wrong for it. I think this is something that would have benefitted from a much tighter story or as an expanded work. 

Right now it suffers from the characters not having enough depth for the amount of time we're with them and the space for connection is discarded for prose that feels overwrought, but wouldn't have if we had more substance to go with it. I don't feel like we get to know the plague doctor or mermaid and they are passively on the plot ride for like 70% of this.  The back third of this book is what bumps me from a 2.5 to a 3, though.