The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan

A house in Jerusalem was built and occupied by an Arab family when the Israeli Army evacuated the town where it was located. The deserted house was then sold to a family of Jews immigrating from Bulgaria. The Lemon Tree tells the stories of these real life families who eventually meet and become friends in spite of their political differences. The personal stories are overlaid with a lot of military and political history which is at times difficult reading, but the insight gained makes it worth persevering. Tolan is Jewish but his book is so well balanced that it feels politically neutral. It inspired in me a greater sympathy for the misplaced Palestinians.

Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef

Mosab Hassan Yousef is the oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a devote Muslim who helped found the organization called Hamas. That group has supported Muslims with good community services, but has also waged war against Israel and against fellow Muslims of its competing organization, Yasser Arafat's Fatah. Mosab's memoir shows how he grew from being a Palestinian boy who threw rocks at Israeli soldiers to being, first, a trusted member of Hamas, then a spy for the Israelis, and finally a convert to Christianity. It is truly an incredible journey in which a young man casts around for his own values and priorities while playing deceptive games with dangerous characters bent on destroying each other. Son of Hamas provides good insight into what it is to be caught in the Middle East conflict.