Journalist Sandy Tolan's story is set during the Six Day War in Israel in 1967. Bashir Al-Khairi, a Palestinian bachelor, has travelled to his childhood home in Al-Ramla, just to discover that the house has a new tenant, the Jewish girl, Dalia Eshkenazi Landau.
Bashir's parents built the house with their own hands, a testament to their hard work, and they lived there for years, running the local cinema for work. Eventually, Israeli-Palestinian violence drove the family out, and in 1948, when the nation state of Israel was recognized by the world as its own nation, the family permanently lost the house. It has been 19 years since their eviction.
But when Bashir finds Dalia, Dalia invites him in (strange behavior considering the conflict between their ethnicities). We continue to learn about Bashir in flashbacks. He has lived in Ramallah where he worked hard in life, becoming a lawyer. Dalia's family came to evacuate Bulgaria during the Jewish Holocaust in Europe. Now, Dalia and Bashir are an unlikely pair, but nevertheless, they cannot help but be drawn together, and their dialogue is painfully honest, but loving. Bashir ends their time by inviting her to Ramallah, but he assumes she will decline.
But she does visit. Bashir is obviously pleased, and he shows her exceptional hospitality. Bashir answers Dalia's questions about the conflict between their peoples. She bemoans the poor decisions of the Israelites. They openly talk about their beliefs, and they show each other tolerance.
Bashir's tolerance is limited, though. Within a few years, Bashir begins having serious legal issues. He has been convicted for several terrorist acts. In 1996, he moves back to Palestine with his sister. They cannot get the house back from Dalia's family though, and it appears that the family lemon tree has died.
Dalia's parents have died. Now, since her parents aren't there to keep the house from Bashir, she agrees with Bashir to turn the house into a school where Israeli children and Palestinian children can be educated, together. There is angry between them for their political opinions, but their commitment to peace in rooted in mutual love and respect. They meet in 2004 to talk things through.
