This book depicts a post-apocalyptic situation that most of us are familiar with only from pleasantly-distant fantasy about zombies or evil governments set in the far future.
However, it's about something that is actually happening now, in the real world, and that makes it immensely powerful.
My children were silent and hooked all through the reading of this story. They had a lot of questions at the end, and were sobered by knowing that the situation is real and something that real people are persevering through right now.
As for myself, I teared up several times and had to do some suspenseful pausing in order not to have my crying voice while reading the book to my kids. It's such a touching and inspiring story -- not only of hardship, but of great hope and perseverence, of family and love and support and memories and home.
May Allah protect and help the people of Gaza.