Huh, two consecutive books involving adult characters and the relationships with their mothers. This was a coincidence—honestly!—even if it would be reasonable to assume otherwise. Actually, the real reason I picked it up was, of course, following up on awards season. I see why this won the National Book Award. It is a personal journey through multiple eras of Lebanese history, about which I knew nothing. I always appreciate a story set over different time periods, and a personal journey leading through generations is a good way for me, a reader with no prior experience or understanding, to get a better sense of another culture. I really enjoyed the organization of this story. It began in reverse chronological order, centering with a hundred pages detailing situation similar to the film, Room, which was a point of origin for the character, before returning forward in time. This was an effective and comprehensible way of presenting both the character's and the country's history.
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