The Lemon Tree

The Lemon Tree.  By Sandy Tolan           Whether I enjoyed this book is not important. Whether the author was fair in his interpretation is only my opinion. What is vital is that I read this book. The Lemon Tree is an education for the heart and mind. The story begins in 1936 when Bashirs muslim family builds a beautiful stone house in Ramla, Palestine and plants a fragrant lemon tree in the yard. In 1948 when war changes everyones lives and borders, Dalia's jewish family moves into this empty house. The Lemon Tree is a symbol of all the families that work hard to have a home and safe haven for their children. It is the story of the most unlikely friendship between Dalia and Bashir. It touches on the most contraversial issue of modern day middle east politics that started a long long time ago. Who does this belong to? Who does any land belong to? Who is most hurt, most right, most wrong. To put yourself in someone elses shoes for just a moment, it doesn't right the wrongs, just put the arguments aside and face the people.