I took my time to read this fabulous part autobiography part epos of Jewish diaspora and the birth of the Israeli state, but it kept me enthralled from beginning to the end. Amos Oz has a masterful way of embedding his earliest memories, small observations, the trivial things of daily life in a erudite, yet heartfelt reflection on life's meaning and the enduring grab of sorrow. Despite the unique set of characters he brings forward in the book, there was much in their gestures, thoughts and feelings I could identify with. This is a book with a universalist outlook; it touches upon the raw nerve of the human condition.