The Lemon Tree

A history lesson and a story of friendship between an Israeli and Palestinian is the backdrop for this very good read, The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan.  Tolan does his homework in providing a timeline of the history of the conflict and how each group was pushed out of their homelands to where the two ethnic groups were forced to be in conflict.  I am not a history buff but many of the names of the Secretaries of State, UN leaders, and Presidents of the various countries brought me back to “the day,” well at least to the 1970s and 80s when I (as the song goes) “wore a younger man’s clothes.”   The back of the book lists all of the various sources cited and interviews conducted by Tolan.  This true life story of two people (Dalia and Bashir) from worlds apart collide when the two main characters meet face to face when Bashir (a Palestinian) and his two cousins visit their childhood home, now occupied territory of the Israelis.  A gracious Dalia allows the three men to visit and tour the home.  After hearing that her home, which she and her parents moved into a decade earlier, had been Palestinian homeland and was the home of Bashir and his family, she was quick to invite the men in.  As a sign of a peace offering, Dalia offered some lemons from the tree that Bashir’s family had planted when they resided in the home.  The mass exodus of the Israelis was a result of agreements signed by Arab states, European countries, and the US.  This is the backdrop for two lives that would be intertwined forever and connected to make the past a learning lessons for the future.  Through a 15 year jail sentence, bombing of a school bus that almost killed one protagonist’s child, and the fear of never coming home, the lives progress through a plan of finding one’s place.  Here is a picture of the two who work toward a mutual understanding and respect for their heritages, their stories, and their belief to fight for their ancestor’s heritage.

The two met in 1967 and continue to have a relationship searching for a hope for peace.  There is rarely a “storybook” ending in life, but clearly there remains that home!   Great NPR listen to the Palestinian/Israeli backdrop with Bashir/Dalia relationship by author Sandy Tolan: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5405369.   Again, great perspective on why the problems exist in the Middle East between the Palestinians and Israelis.  Two different stories where hearing my story doesn’t really mean I will understand it!  If you are interested in the history of the two groups, this is a MUST read.