The first half of the book read much more slowly than the latter half. Perhaps it was the distance from the present. Perhaps it was the understatement. It may be that understatement and emotional distance are the only way to deal with a life lived in the occupied territory, but they make it difficult to get drawn into the narrative. That changes with the second half, starting with the chapter "Loss." From there on it is told with more compelling immediacy, and i was drawn in.(Yet one more reason why I am glad I tend to stick with a book regardless of how it begins.)

It is important to hear the details of life under occupation and attack. Abuelaish manages to be a voice for reconciliation and peace, as the title suggests.