The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
by Sandy Tolan
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 501)
Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
Book clubs, Jews, Palestinians, and anyone who ponders over the fate of the Midle East
The book jacket will explain the story, but a book jacket often makes a book sound better than it is. But in this case, if the description from the book jacket interests you at all, then I don't think you'll be disappointed in the read. I found the book goes well beyond a story of two families, one Israeli and one Palestinian, linked by the house both occupied at two different times - one before the creation of the state of Israel, and the other after. Without being a history book, full of...more
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In 1967, Bashir Khairi, a Palestinian exile, finds an opportunity amidst political turmoil to visit the home he was forced out of 19 years prior. To his surprise, the young Israeli woman now living in the house, Dalia Eshkenazi, allows him and his two friends to come in and tour the house. What results is a 35 year friendship between Bashir and Dalia despite extreme mistrust and what should be an innate hatred of each other.
With The Lemon Tree, Sandy Tolan aimed to present a history of the A...more
With The Lemon Tree, Sandy Tolan aimed to present a history of the A...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
Everyone who is alive
Some of this book was difficult to read, but for very rewarding reasons.
The parts about the history of partition and the events/battles after it were hard to read because they are so different from the narrative I grew up hearing. I found them deeply unsettling and eye-opening.
The detailed historical parts are difficult to read because I always find details about specific battles in specific wars tedious whenever I read history books. However, they help to paint a necessary overall pictu...more
The parts about the history of partition and the events/battles after it were hard to read because they are so different from the narrative I grew up hearing. I found them deeply unsettling and eye-opening.
The detailed historical parts are difficult to read because I always find details about specific battles in specific wars tedious whenever I read history books. However, they help to paint a necessary overall pictu...more
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The subtitle says it all - An Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the Middle East. This is the true story of an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man, both born in the 40s, who share the common history of a house located in a town that became part of Israel when the new state of Israel was formed in 1948. The book opens with 25 year old Bashir (the Palestinian) traveling back to his childhood home after the 1967 six day war,which,ironically, made it possible for him to travel more freely to certain part...more
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recommends it for:
People with caring hearts, people and an interest in the world's peoples.
I have just finished this book, and found it to be one of the most complelling books I have ever read.
An intriguing historical account of the Palestinian/Arab - Israeli conflict through the stories of the lives of two families who are connected through having resided in the same home (the Arab family built it and was later "displaced;" -- most violently. A Jewish family from Bulgaria comes to live there, newly arrived in Israel after World War II. A Lemon Tree grows in the back ya...more
An intriguing historical account of the Palestinian/Arab - Israeli conflict through the stories of the lives of two families who are connected through having resided in the same home (the Arab family built it and was later "displaced;" -- most violently. A Jewish family from Bulgaria comes to live there, newly arrived in Israel after World War II. A Lemon Tree grows in the back ya...more
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Read in May, 2008
This was an amazing and eye-opening read for me, giving me some well needed knowledge about the history behind the Israeli-Palestinian dilemma. This was not a book to be zipped through...i needed to slowly absorb it so that i could fully come to understand historical events that i was oblivious to. There is a solid reason why the conflict in the Middle East exists...both sides have valid and heart breaking points to make...and how DO they solve that?...i have no idea. I'll never again listen in ...more
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Read in May, 2008
Throughout the book much is made of the "dialog" and "friendship" of the protagonists, Dalia and Bashir. This was completely lost on me. It is Dalia who consistently opens her heart and actively seeks an understanding. She looks beyond herself to the situation of the Arabs that once inhabited the land. She tries to envision a solution. Bashir does none of these things. He does not once open his heart nor seek understanding, he simply goes through the motions of basic Ar...more
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
Mark O'Neil
This is a powerful depiction of the Palestinian/Israeli struggle that provides westerners with a much clearer pespective on the injustices perpetrated against Palestinians in the creation of Israel and reminds us of the horrors of the Holocaust. I have a much keener understading for the reactions of Palestinians over the past few decades and the sense they have of being abandoned by the UN and the world. The book brought back many memories of news headlines and gave the other side of the story ...more
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Read in February, 2008
This is a very interesting telling of Bulgarian Jews going to Israel after the Holocaust and a displaced Palestinian family. The Jews move into the house that the Palestinian's father had built. The history of both sides was describe in great detail. At times, it made for a slow moving story; however, in order to get the emotions that were involved, it had to be told this way.
While I deeply felt for both sides, I really found myself sympathizing for the displaced Palestinian family. ...more
While I deeply felt for both sides, I really found myself sympathizing for the displaced Palestinian family. ...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Diane by:
Laura Tillemrecommends it for: anyone interested in the Middle East
Even though I knew the historical facts of the book, or thought I did, Sandy Tolan brings the history alive by focusing on two families, one Palestinian, one Jewish. Many of our Peace Center members are working for a fair resolution of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and after reading only the first part of this book, I too feel a sense of urgency about this situation.
The Peace Center group will continue discussing this book at a later date. One action that will grow out of the discussion ...more
The Peace Center group will continue discussing this book at a later date. One action that will grow out of the discussion ...more
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Read in January, 2008
I am so glad that I happened upon this book in an airport bookstore! If you want a better understanding of the Palestinian-Israeli relationship in the middle east, I would highly recommend this book. It tells the history of that part of the world through a touching true story of two families who share a personal connection, although on opposite sides of this conflict. The book follows their personal attempts to see things from each other's side. The author does a great job presenting both si...more
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone
I just finished this book last night. It is a true story. It tells of the experiences of an Arab family and a Jewish family who shared the same house in Palestine/Israel....though not at the same time obviously.
About 6 months after the 6 Day War, Bashir and 2 of his friends board a bus to cross the border into Israel to visit the homes they had grown up in. Dalia, a Jewish woman who immigrated to Israel from Bulgaria as a child, opened the door to the 3 Arabs and a lifelong conversation began....more
About 6 months after the 6 Day War, Bashir and 2 of his friends board a bus to cross the border into Israel to visit the homes they had grown up in. Dalia, a Jewish woman who immigrated to Israel from Bulgaria as a child, opened the door to the 3 Arabs and a lifelong conversation began....more
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I agree with the person who says required reading for anyone who lives in this world.
The Lemon Tree is the history of modern day Palestine and Israel. It is written in a Palestinian voice by an individual who was displaced from his home as a child but who I think remains fairly balanced in his viewpoint and presentation.
The book is also about an uncanny friendship between this Palestinain and his dear friend who was the child of a family that relocated to Israel after WWII to find a ne...more
The Lemon Tree is the history of modern day Palestine and Israel. It is written in a Palestinian voice by an individual who was displaced from his home as a child but who I think remains fairly balanced in his viewpoint and presentation.
The book is also about an uncanny friendship between this Palestinain and his dear friend who was the child of a family that relocated to Israel after WWII to find a ne...more
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Read in September, 2007
First book that's actually made it clear to me what the roots of the Palestinian/Israli "conflict", starting way before Israel was founded. Compelling nonfiction, written like a fictional narrative, tracing and interweaving the stories of two families, Arab Palestinian and the immigrant Bulgarian Israeli family who moves into the Arab family's home from which they were expelled when Israel captured their village. I am increasingly ashamed and enraged by the actions of Israel and Jews a...more
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Read in January, 2008
This has been a very difficult book to read. History is not among my interests and this book is chock full of it, but it is coupled with personal stories of two very different families. Different from each other (and myself) both culturally and politically. What I will take away is an emotional understanding why the Israeli Palistinian conflict continues with little hope for resolution. I will not remember the details of the conflict, but rather why each culture feels they have had something t...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
book discussion groups
This book personalizes the recent history of the Palestine-Israel conflict by focusing on one house which was built by a Palestinian, and after that family was driven out, given to a newly immigrated Jewish family. The children of those two families, a Palestinian young man, and an Israeli young woman meet about 15 years later. There is a lot of history in this book, both political and military. The author continues to connect it all to the two individuals, and that gives the history depth. ...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
interfaithers, people who care about the world.
As someone without a lot of background on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, this book was extremely helpful in laying out the important players and events of the conflict. Even more importantly, The Lemon Tree's emphasis on the real-life situation of people living through this crisis helped me understand the enormity of the conflict as well as some shimmers of hope.
I loved how honest this book was, and the fact that it was a true story. The writing was at times uninspiring, but overall thi...more
I loved how honest this book was, and the fact that it was a true story. The writing was at times uninspiring, but overall thi...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
see below
Deeply touching. Thoughtfully told capsule history of the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis in the context of a relationship between two people -- an exiled Arab and the Sabra whose family moves into his vacated house in an area of the West Bank annexed by Israel in 1948. I recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about this conflict or someone who feels strongly one way or another but would welcome an opportunity to challenge their thinking (and see what high stakes dia...more
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Read in April, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone high-school aged and above
This book gave a detailed history of a long and continuing struggle in the Middle East in an unusual format- personal stories of two families who have lived through the entire struggle. It raised my understanding and empathy for both sides of the conflict, and gave me a great basis of knowledge so that I better understand news articles, etc. While it is based in family stories, it's fact checked and extremely well-researched, and could probably be used as a textbook supplement, so it's really gr...more
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I thought this was a beautifully written historical narrative about the Israeli occupation of Palestine. It made it easier for me to understand and have more context for the historical events, like the 6 day war and the Oslo accords leading up to the current situation by the way that they were explained in this story about the connection of two families linked by one house and the lemon tree in the back yard. As expected it was heartbreaking, though rooted in hope and struggle.
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