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This book traces the dispute between Palestinians and Jews over land that both regard as their ancestral heritage. By focusing on two families that claimed the same house, the Arab family that built it in the 1930s and a Bulgarian Jewish family who moved into that house as refugees fleeing the horrors of the Nazis, the author makes this conflict personal. Young children when the Palestinians were evicted from their land, an Arab boy and Jewish girl develop a relationship decades later. Through t
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This book allowed me to better understand the perspectives of both the Palestinians and Israelis, which itself is quite an accomplishment. While I sided most with the Palestinian cause, I certainly have a better grasp of how Israel feels surrounded on all sides by potential enemies. There are no answers here, and it is thoroughly depressing to reflect on how much further the region is from peace now.
The thing that struck me hardest during the read: While Dalia’s family was fortunate enough to l ...more
The thing that struck me hardest during the read: While Dalia’s family was fortunate enough to l ...more
I valued this book for the succinct overview it provides of recent history leading to the current Israel/Palestine conflict. Historic context is interwoven with the story of an Israeli woman who moved to a home previously owned by a Palestinian family before they were exiled - and the young man from that family comes to visit the house. This leads to a complex relationship which spans decades. The story is quite repetitive, and feels somewhat strained to 'fit' with the historical overview. The a
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Mar 01, 2013
Lise Petrauskas
marked it as to-read
Apr 06, 2013
Susan
marked it as to-read
Sep 16, 2013
Julie
marked it as to-read
Mar 27, 2016
Alice Cuprill
marked it as to-read
Oct 13, 2023
Kathy Chumley
marked it as to-read
