I love this novel so much I stayed up for three consecutive nights to finish it. I just couldn't go to sleep. Abulhawa is at her best in this novel as she roots her characters in their historical contexts and follows them over critical moments in Palestinian history. I love her protagonist and the relationships she forms in Kuwait and how they reverberate through her life. I also love how she illustrates the daily, steady, and creeping tentacles of Israeli apartheid as it affects Palestinian families. Such a beautiful and important piece of prose.