Cactus is about war and revolution. Palestine is described as a society under assault from the outside and the inside. It is an accurate portrayal of a society under siege that can provide real historical insight. The text is provocative in both diction and themes. Khalifeh's writing style engages the reader, highlighting multiple senses in various scenes. One of the most compelling components of the text are the various forms of resistance that include spoken, violent resistance, seldom used by Arab women writers. The novel focuses on the story of the Al-Karmi family, in particular that of Usama, the idealistic Palestinian expatriate who has returned home charged with a resistance mission to blow up Israeli busses that carry Palestinian laborers who work in Israeli factories. The novel also recounts the story of Usamas' cousin Adil, a Palestinian laborer working in an Israeli factory to provide for his family and his ailing father. The book provides a realistic and uncompromising view of life under Israeli occupation and the issues facing both Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories and abroad.