What an absolutely breathtaking book. It is a story about rampant xenophobia and what happens when it takes over a small town in Sicily. The breadth of the characters was great and I loved reading about both the native Italians and the refugees. There was such a wide variety of characters with different views but it ultimately showed how toxic and destructive racism is and how hatred will destroy us all. I loved the comments on translation and the fact that welcoming each other will bind us together in an unspoken kind of language and how translation gives us power. And what an incredible ending. Sarr is truly a masterful writer and I feel stunned finishing this book because of how powerful it was: