It didn't change my thinking in that I have never thought that the Palestinians were all bad and the Israelis were all good. My heart feels for both sides and my knowledge, while limited on this topic, shows me America and the West in general has not been open-minded, reasonable and fair in how we attempt to influence the outcomes of this conflict. I agree with Naomi about the failure of Americans to come to terms with this -- and I thank you, Naomi, for your honesty and for sharing your own experience.
What this terrific novel did give me was a much richer understanding of the viewpoint we hear less about, voices that are often silenced here. That helped me put myself into that situation and grasp how damaging it is to continually be displaced, even for a family with some economic and professional resources. It showed me how the damage of being driven from your homeland (not to mention losing a son/brother) can impact members of that family for generations. (And of course this happened with the families who came to settle in what is now Israel, too.... that is the tragedy here. Just as in families, on the level of nations, abuse breeds abuse...How I wish we could find a way to end all of this suffering.)