Bat-Ami manages to present both sides of the immigrant issue—that of the American residents and that of the refugees—by telling her story in two first-person narratives. She relates the American viewpoint in the voice of Chris, and she relates the immigrant viewpoint in the voice of Adam.

The story therefore unfolds in alternating perspectives, and the individual voices of the two main characters are as distinct and diverse as their cultures, their language, and their religion. Bat-Ami seems to have a talent for creating realistic dialogue, and she uses that talent to give depth and substance to her characters. Using two first person narratives not only gives readers insight into the private thoughts of both an American citizen and a Jewish refugee, but it allows Bat-Ami to explain the culture clash that permeates the novel and defines the political environment of the...