Aminatta Forna, writing for the Financial Times, described it as "majestic in scale" and praised Gurnah's storytelling and examination of familial relationships.[1] Giles Foden of The Guardian applauded Gurnah's prose.[4] On the other hand, a reviewer for Kirkus Reviews criticized the transitions between the past and the present and felt that the book's central dilemma was not compelling enough.[3] Publishers Weekly wrote that the narrative's pace was occasionally too slow, but praised the plot and the themes of mortality and memory.[4]