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A review by bbethcasas
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A heartbreaking telling of the atrocities that have occurred in Syria for so many years to a people who simply want to live their lives with the ones they love in their homeland, free to live and love in peace.
The rich language and beautiful storytelling in this book will keep your full attention. Readers will want to live within Salama and Kenan’s beautiful story, but pray for the book to end so the anguish and fear will be over.
There are so many other countries enduring these same unthinkable agonies that we know so little about because, for whatever reason, the stories aren’t newsworthy or because the rest of the world has become so complacent to what is going on outside its own borders. Pray for Syria and countries just like her where the innocent are being tortured and suffering to death for their inherent right to live a free life.
The rich language and beautiful storytelling in this book will keep your full attention. Readers will want to live within Salama and Kenan’s beautiful story, but pray for the book to end so the anguish and fear will be over.
There are so many other countries enduring these same unthinkable agonies that we know so little about because, for whatever reason, the stories aren’t newsworthy or because the rest of the world has become so complacent to what is going on outside its own borders. Pray for Syria and countries just like her where the innocent are being tortured and suffering to death for their inherent right to live a free life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail