An Israeli boy, Sam, and a Palestinian boy, Yusuf, are hospitalized at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Sam has an injured leg that may have to be amputated. Yusuf has lost an eye and his other one has become infected. Both are fourteen years old and are hospital roommates.
The boys have preconceived ideas about one another and bring hatred born of war and suicide attacks to the relationship. Sam is sure that Yusuf comes from a family who is uneducated and radically anti-Israeli. Yusuf has lived with the experience of his father’s imprisonment by the Israelis for an unidentified offense.
When they leave the hospital, without permission, for a trip to a candy store in the old city of Jerusalem, all of the prejudices and preconceptions they carry become factors in the problems they face. As a Palestinian, Yusuf might be picked up by Israeli police since he is not allowed in some parts of Jerusalem without special permission. Because he is Israeli, Sam may be at risk when Arab families gather round.
In mishap after mishap, they depend on each other to survive. The boys experience several near-death experiences and the reader is kept wondering if they will be killed.
However, at the end of the book, they are still alive and begin to think about the future. They realize that their grandchildren might still be fighting one another and start to understand that the solution must begin with them.
When they are finally rescued and taken back to the hospital, they meet each other’s fathers and realize that both are educated, responsible family providers, helping put to rest some of the stereotypes they had always believed to be true.
This book stresses the pain and anguish of war but it also shows the positive sides of Arab and Israeli cultures and demonstrates how, when people try, understanding can evolve. Recommended for ages 10 to 16.
