Although this is a work of fiction, this book make the Middle East conflict much more real to me, and doesn't provide any simple solutions.

Some characters specialize in pulling pain inward and hardening the heart; others become terrorists. In either case, the toll on humanity is devastating.

I found myself stutter-reading a few of the Arabic passages. For example, Dalia is also referred to as "Um Yousef," meaning "mother of Yousef." (There's a glossary, as well as a family tree...needed both!)