As the book opens, Arab-Israeli Saeed is suddenly leaving his wife and family in the US to return to his homeland to be with his sick father. The family have been estranged for 14 years but now Saeed feels impelled to try to come to terms with what happened in the past to cause the family rift. In some ways this is a mystery story, as only slowly is all revealed, and it’s not until the end that all is made clear. What is clear from the beginning is that Saeed is a troubled and unhappy man, whose marriage is under strain, whose relationships with his father and the wider family are difficult, and that whatever happened to force him to emigrate to the US in the first place is something that has deeply affected his whole life. I found this a powerful and moving exploration of loss, memory, alienation and displacement, a haunting tale and a sad and melancholy portrait of man who probably will never reconcile himself with the past. The writing is excellent and the pacing spot-on, riveting the reader’s attention throughout. It’s also a story of Jews and Arabs, and the continuing tensions in Israel, and a compelling portrait of Arab-Israeli life. Highly recommended.

Wow. This story really spoke to me, and although the main character is a Palestinian man, I could easily see myself in his story. The author’s masterful storytelling draws the reader in making them a participant in his story.

But is it his story? We learn that the man, who remains nameless throughout the novel, is a writer who started his career as a journalist in Israel and wrote people’s memoirs on the side for extra cash. Shortly after he marries, his wife gets offered a position at a university in the U.S so they emigrate. He continues writing down other people’s memories in the U.S. but he begins to add his memories to theirs if he finds them lacking, or in need of a little something. Track changes-the edits he makes in memories to make them more pleasant.

He returns to Israel to visit his dying father. Slowly we learn why he hasn’t visited his family in 14 years, why his marriage is disintegrating, and he and his father begin to mend their relationship and tell stories and share memories.

There was so much here-who’s memories are who’s? Don’t we all try to forget the ugly and only remember the happy times? The man told the story about an herb that they would collect and his mother would bake into bread and how today, it doesn’t taste the same. Don’t we all have those memories? Nothing tastes as good as Mom’s or Grandma’s. I felt the man beginning to autonomy himself and his memories. In giving away his memories, had he collected some of theirs? Is that what we all do? Don’t we have memories that others close to us can’t remember?

The other part of the story was the setting. The main character is a Palestinian man who grew up in Israel. He speaks Hebrew, he works for an Israeli newspaper. The juxtaposition of these 2 cultures clashing within him, and then he moves to the US where things are simpler.

Overall a fantastic novel that made me look inward. I can’t wait to read more from Mr. Kashua.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an ARC of this book.

A very timely memoir about life from a writer who is displaced in his homeland, as an Arab in Israel and as an immigrant in America.

The sense of disconnect permeates his other roles, author, husband, father and son.

It is his return to see his dying father that is the catalyst for this stirring memoir about what it feels like to live in so many difficult environments.

Thank you Netgalley.