claudiagardiner's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
ayane's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
autumn_dannay's review against another edition
5.0
This is a book that will stay on the shelves of my library for others to read in the future. There is something about how this book skips and jumps through time to reach today that was utterly enticing to me. I wanted to have a fresh mango while reading this book. I could feel the sandy heat pressing on my neck and make me long for a fresh glass of water. I wanted and needed and desired like the people did in this book. The atmosphere of this novel is astounding, and while I wished for more, I know it was ended perfectly.
spiralbear's review against another edition
2.0
I re-read this book after about 10 years because I thought it had a quote that's been floating around in my brain. It didn't.
The early parts of this book were good. Quick. Focused. Compelling. The closer the author got to the present day, the more meandering and less interesting the characters became. Meh.
The early parts of this book were good. Quick. Focused. Compelling. The closer the author got to the present day, the more meandering and less interesting the characters became. Meh.
hels_archive's review against another edition
4.0
Picked up this book on a whim and overall really enjoyed the style employed by the author to tell a family history through generations of interactions. The author employs an array of mystical elements and tangents to weave possible truths into a deeper fiction to engage the audience, moments that helped me, a reader who has never encountered the intricacies of maintaining an orchard or even set foot in Israel, gain a better picture of the world unfolding around the protagonists. Overall a phenomenal read and something I would recommend for its literary elements. However, the historicity of the text remains in question and while it is compelling to see the web of global histories weaved together, the political nature of Israel in the modern era bleeds into the narrative and this overall held me back from deep emotional investments. Nonetheless, it remains a very good book that I loved reading.
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