Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

October 7, 2023, marked the opening salvo in yet another round of deadly conflict in the Holy Land. The authors bring unique perspectives to the discussion. Palestinian Sarah (Crossing Boundaries, 2020) lost his older brother after detention in an Israeli prison. Israeli Inon’s parents died in the October 7 attacks. They have lived parallel lives in Israel, with strong emotional connections to their homeland and deep familial roots. Both carry tragic wounds of loss that, instead of alienating them, brought them together. They lean into this bond to turn trauma into optimism and forgiveness as they serve as co-CEOs of InterAct International, a nonprofit organization promoting peace. Following the attacks, the authors travel together across the Holy Land, sharing their journeys and opening doors of understanding. They describe times of peaceful coexistence among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, struggles of occupation and broken promises, and splintered territory that fractured communities. Both believe tourism is vital to peacemaking, as travelers are encouraged to see beyond fear. Their chronicle challenges us to lean into tough questions, learn difficult truths, and recognize the humanity of others. Shelve this alongside Penina Eilberg-Schwartz’s In This Place Together (2021) and Sandy Tolan’s The Lemon Tree (2006). Often heartbreaking, ultimately inspiring, this essential title deserves wide readership.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Hope amid trauma. In this bighearted travelogue, friends and peace activists Abu Sarah, a Palestinian whose brother died from injuries suffered in Israeli custody, and Inon, an Israeli whose parents were killed by Hamas, explore the region’s militarized landscape and learn about the experiences of others impacted by decades of violence. Their eight-day journey through Israeli and Palestinian communities is an effort to topple “walls of ignorance and hatred,” writes Inon. In Jerusalem, the West Bank, and elsewhere, they recount fraught local history and share their experiences as socially conscious entrepreneurs whose work in the tourism and hospitality industries aims to foster “connection and peacebuilding.” Though their prose occasionally reads like ad copy for their respective businesses, their generosity sets a remarkable example. Forgiving his parents’ murderers “has set me free,” Inon writes. Their leaders have failed them, and cross-cultural “co-resistance” is the most promising way forward, Abu Sarah writes. They don’t break new ground with their accounts of the onerous laws and border security zones that dominate Palestinian life, but as a vessel for the devastating stories told by those they speak to along the way, their book is invaluable. An Israeli tells them that during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, his two youngest grandsons survived by playing dead alongside their murdered siblings and parents. A Palestinian doctor recalls that during an Israeli strike on Gaza, he saw a woman sitting with her dead child’s body, “just waiting for more family members to come so they could go bury him.” Others recount atrocities at holy sites and military checkpoints, and the security clampdowns that followed. Not even the authors’ many mentions of their business ventures diminish the potency of the important stories they share. Powerfully demonstrates that fellowship can bridge seemingly intractable divides. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.