The Lemon Tree, written by Sandy Tolan, was published in 2006. The narrative concerns two families, both in Al-Ramla, one Arab and one Jewish. When Bashir Khairi goes to visit his own house in Al-Ramla he was forced to leave, he finds Dalia Eshkenazi and her family living where he used to live. They immediately feel a connection that bonds them together, and though they are fighting against each other, they still share a bond and continue seeing each other for a long time afterward. When Bashir is arrested for violent attacks, Dalia is a little offended, but they still feel a connection.
This book's title comes from the tree that the Khairi family had planted in the backyard. When it dies, people plant another tree to replace it.
Tolan was looking for a topic to write about for a while, and the 50th anniversary of the first Arab-Israeli war inspired her to write a book about this. After looking for a long time to find two families that are related, she finally begins to write a book, The Lemon Tree.
