I’ve always wanted to visit Israel and you can tell that the author fell in love with Jerusalem because he writes about it so vividly. It’s easy to imagine yourself exploring the laneways of the Old City, enjoying falafel and fresh pomegranate juice at Samir’s café and climbing the rickety staircase at dusk to see the view of Mount of Olives from the titular rooftop.

Israel is often discussed through either a Jewish or Muslim lens but Daniel, the main character in A Rooftop in Jerusalem is Christian.

The author doesn’t shy away from delving deeper into the rich and complicated history of the country and includes both Israeli and Palestinian voices. One of the most interesting parts of the book is when Daniel leads an interfaith group on a tour around Israel and you get to experience the various historical sites (Yad Vashem, for example) from the perspectives of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian group members. Overall, I found it very thought-provoking.