In 1967, nearly 20 years after his family was forced to flee, Palestinian Bahsir al-Khairi returned to his boyhood home and began a lifelong friendship with a woman living there. Her name was Dalia Eshkenazi. She was Israeli.
More from Sandy Tolan
'Fresh Air' Documentary, 1998
Toggle more optionsReporter Sandy Tolan first told the poignant story in a 1998 radio documentary heard on NPR's Fresh Air. His new book, The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew and the Heart of the Middle East, connects the tale of one house and two families to the complex history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Tolan weaves together dramatically different perceptions of the conflict and its context and explains how the lemon tree grew to become a powerful symbol of home.
Related NPR Stories
The Lemon Tree
By Sandy Tolan Purchase BookPurchase close overlayBuy Featured Book
TitleThe Lemon TreeAuthorSandy TolanYour purchase helps support NPR programming. How?
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7zRZ6arn19nfXGCjmltaGhkZIJ1gJhxa2lnnJq6sLqMramenV2btq%2Bw0madq6GVo7G0tMipZJqlmZl6rrXDnpisrF2YvK%2Byy6KarQ%3D%3D