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The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan - 4 stars - My Review

Well-written non-fiction that sheds light on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Middle East. It highlights two families connected by one home in the current Israeli town of Ramla. The Khairis, a Palestinian family, built the house in 1936, and planted a lemon tree in the yard. They were exiled in the wake of the violence during the 1948 war. The eldest son, Bashir, vowed to return one day, to reclaim their home. The Eshkenazis, a family of Bulgarian Jews, arrived in newly established Israel, and moved into the home with the lemon tree. Their only child, Dalia, was only a year old at the time.

The book opens with the meeting of Dalia and Bashir after the Six-Day War. Bashir returns briefly to al-Ramla, seeking to see his old home. He meets Dalia, and she invites him in. Tolan has written a history of the Middle East based around the unlikely friendship between Bashir and Dalia. He interweaves their personal stories with documentation found in his research. He includes direct quotes from interviews, primary sources, and declassified materials. This alternation between micro and macro is effective in conveying the multiple Arab and Israeli perspectives, such that the reader can put himself or herself in their shoes.

The book spans the historical panorama, including such topics as the political conferences, the leaders of various movements, important locations, the involvements of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt, and differing governmental policies that changed over time. I read the version that includes an epilogue, which provides an update as of 2020. Tolan’s book helps facilitate understanding of the complex issues in the Middle East and will appeal to those who want to learn more about the history of the region and the outlook for an eventual peaceful resolution.

I read this several years ago and enjoyed it. I thought of it when I read Apeirogon.

Booknblues wrote: "I read this several years ago and enjoyed it. I thought of it when I read Apeirogon."

Yes! I almost included Apeirogon as a recommendation for further reading about Palestinian-Israeli friendships, but I did not want to detract focus from The Lemon Tree.