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Reviewed by Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite
Nisma and her siblings live with their parents in the bustling port city of Haifa. Haifa is not like every other city, as the different religious groups living within it are affected by the conflict between the Israeli military and the Palestinian resistance fighters. Nisma’s choice of friends and activities comes down to her Palestinian Muslim heritage, which implies no chance of friendship between her and Hannah, her friendly Jewish neighbor who attends the same school. Nisma’s frustration with her predicament leads to frequent clashes with her parents, but a random act of kindness changes everything for her in Mariam El Houli’s The Olive Tree.
The inspiration for Mariam El Houli’s The Olive Tree is the peculiar problems Palestinians in Israel face. Her storyline is simple, focusing on the interactions between two families from different religions and the question, "In a society where something as simple as being polite to our neighbors leads to trouble, why can't we all get along?" As Nisma gets older, the narrative develops with the main character to the point where you can detect maturity setting in and a grudging realization that the change she dreams of has to come from a team effort. The conversations between Salim—who favors a moderate approach to their situation—and his wife Nada—whose previous experiences have shaped her into the hardliner she is today—give the reader an unbiased picture of what Nisma’s family is up against. Through its advocacy of increased tolerance among all the parties involved in a never-ending conflict, The Olive Tree invites readers to take up the cause of changing the status quo. Mariam El Houli deserves recognition for this impressive story.
