Palestinian Amal Rifa'i and Israeli Odelia Ainbinder are two teenage girls who live in the same city, yet worlds apart.They met on a student exchange program to Switzerland. Weeks after they returned, the latest, violent Intifada broke out in the fall of 2000.But two years later, Middle East correspondent Sylke Tempel encouraged Amal and Odelia to develop their friendship by facilitating an exchange of their deepest feelings through letters.In their letters, Amal and Odelia discuss the Intifada, their families, traditions, suicide bombers, and military service.They write frankly of their anger, frustrations, and fear, but also of their hopes and dreams for a brighter future.Together, Amal and Odelia give us a renewed sense of hope for peace in the Middle East. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

The two authors, now 18, met in Switzerland during an exchange program in 2000, and returned to a Jerusalem soon gripped by the second intifada. After falling out of touch, they exchanged the letters collected in this book from August to November of 2002, cycling through anguish, accusation, artifice, allowance, appreciation-all of the beginnings of real friendship. The book proves to be that rarest of contexts-a place for young women of the Middle East to discuss politics with openness and mutual respect. 6 maps. (Sept. 12) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information