A classic tale of young lovers rebooted in a different region, chock full of text messages and hip-hop innuendos.
Pamela L. Laskin's created an au courant verse novel of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by transporting two teenage lovers to a new setting, Gaza. Ronit is a Jewish Israeli who meets Ronit, a Muslim Palestinian, by way of their fathers, one a pharmacist, the other a doctor. They immediately fall in love in spite of their father's warnings that they refrain from looking upon one another. Their interactions flow in a first person, poetic format. Their feelings for one another sent via text messages and voiced during secret meetings is easy to follow and highly relatable. The abrupt changes in emotions, showcase the immaturity of the star-crossed lovers. What makes this story so mocking is the fact that both of their fathers often work together to service and heal the sick, but they cannot put their cultural bigotry aside and accept that their children have fallen madly in love. Laskin's words help educate readers on the political, cultural, and religious stakes in a war-torn region. A place where love may not always get you through.
This work is both romantic and educational, with a modern day twist on teenage fever.
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