Ronit, an Israeli girl, and Jamil, a Palestinian boy, fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. - (Baker & Taylor)

A lyrical novel in verse retells the story of Romeo and Juliet against a backdrop of the modern-day Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza, where an Israeli girl and a Palestinian boy are brought together by their distrustful fathers' business arrangements and fall into a forbidden love. Simultaneous eBook. 40,000 first printing. - (Baker & Taylor)

Ronit, an Israeli girl, lives on one side of the fence. Jamil, a Palestinian boy, lives on the other side. Only miles apart but separated by generations of conflict -- much more than just the concrete blockade between them. Their fathers, however, work in a distrusting but mutually beneficial business arrangement, a relationship that brings Ronit and Jamil together. And lightning strikes. The kind of lightning that transcends barrier fences, war, and hatred. The teenage lovers fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. But a love this big can only be kept secret for so long. Ronit and Jamil must face the fateful choice to save their lives or their loves, as it may not be possible to save both. - (Baker & Taylor)

Pamela L. Laskin’s beautiful and lyrical novel in verse delivers a fresh and captivating retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that transports the star-crossed lovers to the modern-day Israel-Palestine conflict.

Ronit, an Israeli girl, lives on one side of the fence. Jamil, a Palestinian boy, lives on the other side. Only miles apart but separated by generations of conflict—much more than just the concrete blockade between them. Their fathers, however, work in a distrusting but mutually beneficial business arrangement, a relationship that brings Ronit and Jamil together. And lightning strikes. The kind of lightning that transcends barrier fences, war, and hatred.

The teenage lovers fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. But a love this big can only be kept secret for so long. Ronit and Jamil must face the fateful choice to save their lives or their loves, as it may not be possible to save both.

Pamela L. Laskin's beautiful and lyrical novel in verse delivers a fresh and captivating retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that transports the star-crossed lovers to the modern-day Israel-Palestine conflict.

Ronit, an Israeli girl, lives on one side of the fence. Jamil, a Palestinian boy, lives on the other side. Only miles apart but separated by generations of conflict'much more than just the concrete blockade between them. Their fathers, however, work in a distrusting but mutually beneficial business arrangement, a relationship that brings Ronit and Jamil together. And lightning strikes. The kind of lightning that transcends barrier fences, war, and hatred.

The teenage lovers fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. But a love this big can only be kept secret for so long. Ronit and Jamil must face the fateful choice to save their lives or their loves, as it may not be possible to save both.

A barrier fence divides Israel and Gaza. Ronit, an Israeli girl, lives on one side of the fence, and Jamil, a Palestinian boy, lives on the other side. They are only miles apart yet separated by generations of conflict—much more than just the concrete blockade between them. Their fathers, however, work in a distrusting but mutually beneficial business arrangement, a relationship that brings Ronit and Jamil together. And lightning strikes. The kind of lightning that transcends barrier fences, war, and hatred.

Ronit and Jamil fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. But a love this big can be kept secret for only so long. And soon, the teenage lovers must face the fateful choice to save their lives or their loves, as it may not be possible to save both.

With spare, vivid, and transformative language, Pamela L. Laskin delivers a novel in verse that captures the timeless Shakespearean love story with a modern and essential perspective as two teens try to rise above a war-torn world.

A barrier fence divides Israel and Gaza. Ronit, an Israeli girl, lives on one side of the fence, and Jamil, a Palestinian boy, lives on the other side. They are only miles apart yet separated by generations of conflict'much more than just the concrete blockade between them. Their fathers, however, work in a distrusting but mutually beneficial business arrangement, a relationship that brings Ronit and Jamil together. And lightning strikes. The kind of lightning that transcends barrier fences, war, and hatred.

Ronit and Jamil fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. But a love this big can be kept secret for only so long. And soon, the teenage lovers must face the fateful choice to save their lives or their loves, as it may not be possible to save both.

With spare, vivid, and transformative language, Pamela L. Laskin delivers a novel in verse that captures the timeless Shakespearean love story with a modern and essential perspective as two teens try to rise above a war-torn world.

Booklist Reviews

Israeli-born Ronit's abba works as a pharmacist in East Jerusalem; Palestinian Jamil's abi works as a doctor. But when both fathers decide to drag their willful teens onto the job with them, they impart the same stern words of advice: "Don't look." Yet in this modern day Romeo and Juliet revamp, Ronit is quick to admire Jamil's hazel gaze, and Jamil, too, swiftly swoons for the "girl / with the song in her voice." So begin text message trysts, marketplace meetups, and a love as fierce as it is forbidden. Like its predecessor, Laskin's tale, a series of mostly page-length poems, unfolds in five acts. Alternating between the perspectives of each teen (and, eventually, their fathers), it illuminates a tense but textured land riddled with rockets, roadblocks, and olive trees. Occasionally saccharine but always accessible, the modern verse—flecked with Arabic, Hebrew, and iconic excerpts from the play itself—will ease romance-hungry teens into both Shakespeare's original and the challenging context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A welcome nod to hope in the face of the impossible. Copyright 2016 Booklist Reviews.