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Crossing the Line: An Israeli-Palestinian Love Story
In Crossing the Line, journalist and writer Mya Guarnieri recounts the story of a real-life Romeo and herself, a Jewish American immigrant to Israel lecturing at a Palestinian university, and Mohamed, a fellow journalist and the son of a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
This timely memoir chronicles how, despite the Israeli-built separation barrier that stood between them, Mya and Mohamed managed to meet, fall in love, and overcome the external and internal obstacles that threatened to keep them apart. With a reporter's eye for detail and a storyteller's knack for nuance, she shares the political, cultural, and family problems the star-crossed lovers faced throughout their courtship. Crossing the Line is not only a reflection on her own story, however; this compelling memoir also offers an intimate look at daily life in Palestinian areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank; it explores the complexity of loving one's "enemy"; and it serves as a tortured love letter to the land and the people who call the place home.
In a dark moment in the long history of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, Crossing the Line is a spot of light that imagines a different future for the two peoples. It is also a universal story about the challenges of overcoming our innermost emotional barriers and making ourselves vulnerable to love.
This timely memoir chronicles how, despite the Israeli-built separation barrier that stood between them, Mya and Mohamed managed to meet, fall in love, and overcome the external and internal obstacles that threatened to keep them apart. With a reporter's eye for detail and a storyteller's knack for nuance, she shares the political, cultural, and family problems the star-crossed lovers faced throughout their courtship. Crossing the Line is not only a reflection on her own story, however; this compelling memoir also offers an intimate look at daily life in Palestinian areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank; it explores the complexity of loving one's "enemy"; and it serves as a tortured love letter to the land and the people who call the place home.
In a dark moment in the long history of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, Crossing the Line is a spot of light that imagines a different future for the two peoples. It is also a universal story about the challenges of overcoming our innermost emotional barriers and making ourselves vulnerable to love.
292 pages, Hardcover
Published September 30, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 25, 2025
You know when you’re excited about a long commute on the bus or subway, or you don’t mind a long wait at the doctor’s office, because it means you get to keep reading your book?! That’s how I felt about this book. Though it’s being published into a very difficult political climate I would say that’s all the more reason to pick this up now.
The author does a great job showing us the persistent struggles she and Mohamed contended with in the face of the occupation. I learned a lot about the lived reality (which has unfortunately only gotten worse since then) in the West Bank, how the occupation limits the movement of Palestinians and how bureaucracy is used as a tool of oppression.
At the same time it’s a love story, and the excitement of a new crush and then lover is palpable and contagious. Their attraction, resistance, courtship, obstacles, fights, commitments… such a moving ride. At times it almost felt like a romance / beach read, but then the heartbreaking and infuriating political reality would come crashing in. Really makes you feel the contrast of their love vs. the struggles they faced. But without sugarcoating their relationship either- their fights feel familiar and realistic in their messiness.
I thought the book manages to be idealistic and at times even hopeful, while being sober about the daily trauma of the occupation. Highly recommend!
The author does a great job showing us the persistent struggles she and Mohamed contended with in the face of the occupation. I learned a lot about the lived reality (which has unfortunately only gotten worse since then) in the West Bank, how the occupation limits the movement of Palestinians and how bureaucracy is used as a tool of oppression.
At the same time it’s a love story, and the excitement of a new crush and then lover is palpable and contagious. Their attraction, resistance, courtship, obstacles, fights, commitments… such a moving ride. At times it almost felt like a romance / beach read, but then the heartbreaking and infuriating political reality would come crashing in. Really makes you feel the contrast of their love vs. the struggles they faced. But without sugarcoating their relationship either- their fights feel familiar and realistic in their messiness.
I thought the book manages to be idealistic and at times even hopeful, while being sober about the daily trauma of the occupation. Highly recommend!
November 13, 2025
This book simply rules. I would say I’m biased because I know Mya personally — but I’m not typically this effusive of friends’ work nor do I ever feel the need to make a goodreads account to review them.
I was riveted and read the whole thing in a day or so.
What can I say? This book paints a complex picture of the author’s motivations step by step in moving from the US to Israel (“48”) and then to the West Bank. I related to her description of the tricky political standing of a Jew with Israeli citizenship (“blue ID”), and loved Mya’s heartbreaking explication of the different legal statuses in Israel-Palestine and how these statuses affect daily life and decision-making.
Even though I’m informed about the region, I still learned new (tragic) info about the occupation and how it functions.
The author’s curiosity and passion make this an exciting read. I particularly loved how she didn’t make herself a hero, and named how some factions of Palestinian and Israeli society would see her as a villain. This book showcased different ideologies within Israel-Palestine, beliefs that typically get flattened in everyday discourse.
I recommend this book to anyone who can read!
I was riveted and read the whole thing in a day or so.
What can I say? This book paints a complex picture of the author’s motivations step by step in moving from the US to Israel (“48”) and then to the West Bank. I related to her description of the tricky political standing of a Jew with Israeli citizenship (“blue ID”), and loved Mya’s heartbreaking explication of the different legal statuses in Israel-Palestine and how these statuses affect daily life and decision-making.
Even though I’m informed about the region, I still learned new (tragic) info about the occupation and how it functions.
The author’s curiosity and passion make this an exciting read. I particularly loved how she didn’t make herself a hero, and named how some factions of Palestinian and Israeli society would see her as a villain. This book showcased different ideologies within Israel-Palestine, beliefs that typically get flattened in everyday discourse.
I recommend this book to anyone who can read!
December 6, 2025
A sort of odd premise for a memoir given…everything…but was actually compelling on both the romance and reporting fronts. Learned a lot about the West Bank under Israeli occupation pre-2014, but the warmth with which the author described her relationships (romances, friendships, familial acquaintanceships) and love for the land lightened up the darker parts.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews