“In a distant time, before history marched over the hills and shattered present and future, before wind grabbed the land at one corner and shook it of its name and character, before Amal was born, a small village east of Haifa lived quietly on figs and olives, open frontiers and sunshine.”

This is the opening paragraph of the book. It sets the scene of the Palestinian family’s life before the Jewish occupation. The scene is idyllic: a rural, peaceful, self-sufficient, and unaggressive life. Amal is introduced, as she is the central character of the novel. Haifa is now part of the State of Israel, so its mention here foreshadows the coming displacement of Amal’s Palestinian family.

“Every November, the harvest week brought renewed vigor to Ein Hod, and Yehya, Abu Hasan, could feel it in his bones.”

Here, the importance of the rhythm of nature and the seasons, and the vital connection between the patriarch, Yehya, and his land and trees, are portrayed. Ein Hod refers to the village as a community, and the impression is that they are united, one entity, working together. The term Abu Hasan (father of Hasan) highlights the importance of family and being a father.

“To the villagers, Dalia was like a wild gypsy, born of Bedouin poetry and colors instead of flesh and blood. Some thought the child had an aspect of the devil and convinced Dalia’s mother to bring a sheikh to read Quranic verses over her.”

One of the central characters, Dalia, is introduced. Her wild and colorful spirit as a free and innocent child contrasts starkly with how her character ends up after the Israeli atrocities. At this point in the book, her Bedouin origins are seen as suspicious by the settled Arabs, and she is considered a threat to their peaceful, god-fearing ways. Thus, the theme of