Structure

While the structure of Matar's text is not chronological, Matar's experience as a novelist allows his scattered timeline to read as a fluent narrative. The book reads as a diary entry, with personal, introspective analyses on seemingly every page. While the main story line focuses on Matar's 2012 return trip to Libya, he jumps back in time throughout the text in an effort to convey the entirety of his complex and dynamic return. He seems to focus more intently and more emotionally on his family earlier in the book. He then goes on to explain his family's long-standing involvement in the Libyan revolution, allowing the true purpose of his book to fully take form: a personal account of the human cost of Libya's conflict-ridden history.

Perspective

Looking at the book as a historical text, this book takes an obvious anti-Qaddafi sentiment. What Matar fails to mention throughout his...