Replenishing the Sea of Galilee is a wonderful family saga. I finished the book in one sitting once I started it. The novel sucks you right in from the beginning. It begins in the 1940s with Kareem and Amina, then their twins Rasheed and Rasheeda in Palestine working in their family's inns. Rasheed falls in love with Natalia, a Jewish woman and she suddenly disappears. Rasheed and Rasheeda are forced from their homeland. Rasheed never gets over his love for Natalia. The author, Wagih Abu-Rish, weaves a wonderful story of love, loss, religion and family. The novel ends in the 1970s with the family reuniting proving that the strength of family can overrule any differences. I did not know much about the Middle East when I started this book and even though it is a work of fiction, I feel that I now know more about their way of life and family values.