A more illuminating, smarter, and multifaceted book about Israel, about families and what holds people together and what separates them, cannot be recommended to anyone. In his bestseller, Amos Oz tells the story of his family, full of tenderness and insight. It all begins in 1940s Jerusalem, a refuge for Jews who, like Oz's grandparents, were able to flee from anti-Semitic persecution. In the city, they struggle with their despair, but it is also here that their shared hope for a life free of fear grows.