I need to be honest and say that my feelings on the Israel/Palestinian issue are just that feelings. That come from my gut. And don't necessarily come from facts. I believe that put me in a position to read this book in a slightly different frame of mind whose thoughts on the issue come from a study of the facts.
The book takes place in New York City, in 2003, in the aftermath of 9/11. Although that really doesn't come into play in the novel at all. It's referenced but has nothing to do with the storyline at all.
Hilmi is sent to a coffee shop to let Liat know that a friend of hers isn't able to meet for coffee. The story evolves, their relationship strengthens. But in Liat's mind, the romance is temporary. How could a relationship between an Israeli and a Palestinian be anything more? We follow along and get deeper into the internal (and sometimes external) conflicts that face Liat as she weighs in on her connection to Hilmi.
Much of what she experiences I understood. But there were so many nuanced considerations that I never would have even imagined. In all of my wonderings about the Israel/Palestine issue (is that too weak a term to keep using?), there were so many things brought up in the novel that I really never considered. I never thought about how vastly different the lives of Palestinians might be from Israelis beyond the having to cross a border to get to work.
I came to no conclusions by the end of the novel. I do look forward to discussing it with the group in April.
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