I am reading the book, A Lake Beyond the Wind for my Palestinian book, and although it is interesting it is quite difficult to follow. I have a hard time remember which narrator is which as it jumps from story to story. It is hard at times to realize who is speaking, especially when the culture is so unfamiliar and it mostly new ideas that I am reading about.

The book does open with a very eerie feeling and lets the reader know that something major is going to be happening. You can tell that things are unsettled and there is going to be a conflict early on. The reader knows that good things will probably not be coming for the characters and from that point I knew that I was going to learn things about Palestine that I didn't know and had never seen before. It made me excited to keep reading, but also nervous because I wondered what kinds of things I was going to be exposed to that I had not known before. Although I enjoy reading about different cultures and the situations that are actually going on, I have to admit that it is scary to think that all these terrible things are going on in the world. I knew bad things happened, but when you see just how much it makes me uneasy about even my own safety.

The vest is the story is definitely a symbol for these people in the story. To many I think this is to show comfort and stability that they are trying to achieve. I also think that the vest is showing power that these people want over their own lives and their need and want to live in a country where the only worries they have are normal everyday troubles. I think the vest is used as a safety net for many and shows that some people think that with this that nothing is going to happen to them. Obviously, some characters have different feelings about the vest and see this as a need and want for peace and not as only the protection they seek. I think this is a good book, and the vest symbolizes and puts into perspective all of the things that people want in their lives, peace, hope, and safety. This is something that everyone is this country wants to achieve, and I think put was written to show what people want, but how difficult it is for them to attain it. Books such as this may be something that people need in order to realize what is going on and that maybe they should end what they are doing because innocent people are being affected everyday and that this fight is not necessary and peace should be found.