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A review by multitalented_egg
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
One of the most beautiful, thought-invoking books I've read in a while. It follows a young girl, Salama, through the horrors she faces during Syrian war, her guilt, her loss, the difficult decisions she has to make everyday, as well as the people she meets along the way. Reading this book evokes emotion from the first till the last page; whenever you think her story can't get more tragic, it does.
It also shows how Salama suffers from PTSD, which materializes in the form of a man named Khawf - which literally translates to 'fear' in English.
This story features the blooming of hope in a battered heart that believes hope is a luxury, and a brain that creates multiple coping mechanisms to help its owner keep up.
But most of all, it shows the suffering of those who are ignored, whose lives are mere numbers, who are forgotten after the bullet goes through their skulls, and the rigid dichotomy between the suffering of the Palestinians and Syrians.
With a halal romance subplot going on, this book is a refreshing representation, and a perfect segue into educating ourselves more about the unfortunate.
It also shows how Salama suffers from PTSD, which materializes in the form of a man named Khawf - which literally translates to 'fear' in English.
This story features the blooming of hope in a battered heart that believes hope is a luxury, and a brain that creates multiple coping mechanisms to help its owner keep up.
But most of all, it shows the suffering of those who are ignored, whose lives are mere numbers, who are forgotten after the bullet goes through their skulls, and the rigid dichotomy between the suffering of the Palestinians and Syrians.
With a halal romance subplot going on, this book is a refreshing representation, and a perfect segue into educating ourselves more about the unfortunate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault and Torture