THE LEMON TREE An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East

This portrayal of two real families, one Jewish, the other Arab, is living history that someone will surely turn into a documentary. It reveals the parallel and divergent lives of Bashir and Dalia, both struggling since the 1940s through the bloody clashes in and around what is now Jewish Israel. Tolan's well-documented nonfiction explores the very souls of Bashir and Dalia--tortured, conflicted, proud, and hopeful, but rarely cheerful. That's why Tolan's voice is not the best fit for his own rich writing. He reads too fast and is too perky to perform this grave chapter in Middle Eastern history. A professional reader could make this an audio award winner. D.J.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]