You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
danadoesbooks 's review for:
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
by Zoulfa Katouh
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Thank you to Little Brown for the gifted copy of As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow! All opinions in this review are my own.
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow wasn't on my radar before receiving it in the book bundle for attending Hachette's Book Club Brunch last year. The cover immediately caught my eye and now I feel like I've only heard great things about this book!
In her author's note, Zoulfa Katouh describes how she wrote As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow to give a human element to what is happening in Syria. She describes how most people are only aware of it through news broadcasts which focus on numbers rather than individuals. By writing this book, Katouh was able to give a voice to characters that are often not seen in popular fiction.
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow will rip your heart out but in the best way possible. It is a devastating read to hear about the trauma that Salama has experienced and the ways that her brain has learned to cope with it. Salama must choose between staying to help her country and trying to find a life for herself out of Syria. Despite the heavy topics, Katouh's writing is beautiful. Her characters are realistic and fully formed. They are not solely defined by the trauma they are facing and still have hope.
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow wasn't on my radar before receiving it in the book bundle for attending Hachette's Book Club Brunch last year. The cover immediately caught my eye and now I feel like I've only heard great things about this book!
In her author's note, Zoulfa Katouh describes how she wrote As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow to give a human element to what is happening in Syria. She describes how most people are only aware of it through news broadcasts which focus on numbers rather than individuals. By writing this book, Katouh was able to give a voice to characters that are often not seen in popular fiction.
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow will rip your heart out but in the best way possible. It is a devastating read to hear about the trauma that Salama has experienced and the ways that her brain has learned to cope with it. Salama must choose between staying to help her country and trying to find a life for herself out of Syria. Despite the heavy topics, Katouh's writing is beautiful. Her characters are realistic and fully formed. They are not solely defined by the trauma they are facing and still have hope.