Pick one of the major historical events that are represented in the novel and compare the way that event is understood by historians versus how Alyan depicts it in the novel. How does the novel’s focus on historical events’ impact on individuals and families change the way you understand them?

What does it mean to be a Palestinian who has never lived in Palestine? Analyze the way characters from two or three different generations understand their Palestinian identity. What does the novel suggest about the source and nature of ethnic and cultural identity?

Discuss Atef’s relationship with Mustafa. What does Mustafa come to represent for Atef? What does he represent to his other family members, including those who never met him?