by Bret Lott
First published 2024
Bestselling author Bret Lott draws on years of living and teaching in Jerusalem to examine how meals create bonds across divided communities. He visits an olive oil cooperative where Israeli and Palestinian women work together, observes Bedouins harvesting olives at night in downtown Jerusalem, and shares a traditional Shabbat dinner in an ancient Old City home. Lott travels to a non-kosher butcher shop in the upscale German Colony and sits with colleagues over fresh fruit in a Ramallah office. Through these intimate encounters with people and their food traditions, he shows how sharing meals builds connections between hearts and minds. The book argues that even in regions torn by war and conflict, hope persists in the simple act of eating together.
Genres: 21st-century, middle-east, food-and-drink, food-writing
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Jerusalem, Ramallah, German Colony
Period: 21st-century
172 pages · Paperback · Slant Books