As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow: The breathtaking story of love and loss in t...

6⭐ — Beyond a rating. As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is beautiful, devastating, and unforgettable. Salama’s story of love, faith, and survival in war-torn Syria gripped my heart from the first page. It’s raw, real, and even more powerful in today’s world. You will feel everything — every tear, every flicker of hope. This book will stay with me forever. ————— This is a 6⭐ read for me — not even 5. Honestly, it’s beyond any rating. It’s beautiful in every possible way. Words cannot fully capture how incredible this story was or the emotional impact it had on me. The hype behind this book is so real — I now understand why everyone who reads it falls in love. When I first started, I had to pause and take a break — not because it wasn’t good, but because it was so powerful, raw, and heavy in the best way. Salama’s journey — the trauma, the loss, and the mental scars of what she’s endured in Syria — felt painfully real. Reading it now, while seeing what is happening in Palestine, made it even more poignant and urgent. The love and faith between Salama and Kenan was a beacon of light in the middle of so much darkness. The way Kenan helped Salama face the truth and see the reality of things was tender, heartbreaking, and inspiring. This book gripped me until the very last page. I was ready for heartbreak, but what I found was something even more powerful — beauty, resilience, and hope. You need to read this book. You will be transported into Salama’s world and feel every single emotion she feels.

‘No country in this world will love you as yours does.’ ‘We don’t have to stop living because we might die.’ ‘You deserve to be happy here. Because if you won’t try it in Syria, then you won’t try it in Germany. Getting to Europe won’t solve your problems.’ I loved this book so much, the writing is refreshingly straight to the point. It deals with heavy themes with so much grace, hope and light. The love is pure, young and fresh. As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow is a novel about the Syrian war/revolution and its effect on real people. Salama is an 18 year old pharmacist (still a university student really) thrown into the role of a surgeon due to lack of doctors who were deliberately targeted by the military. Having lost her whole family, Salama and her best friend and sister in law are trying to survive. Like many others, she is torn between loyalty to Syria 🇸🇾 and fleeing to a safer country. I like how the author touches on PTSD, trauma induced mutism, hallucinations and many other ways trauma affects people. Character development in this book is top notch, every character had a strong voice that contributed greatly to the story. It was refreshing to see good strong male characters that were not intimidated by a strong female protagonist. Zoulfa writes in the Author’s Note ‘This novel delves into the human emotion behind the conflict, because we are not numbers. For years Syrians have been tortured, murdered and banished from their country at the hands of a tyrannical regime, and we owe it to them to know their stories.’ Thank you Zoulfa, you told their stories in an excellent way. The love between the pages help the stories go down well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow is a highly emotional and breathtaking story about love, loss, and trauma set during the civil war in Syria. It delves deep into fear and just how controlling fear can be in one's life, acting as a defence mechanism. But also how hope and love can set us free. While this may be a work of fiction, it's based on real-life events and the suffering of the Syrian people. War is devastating, and this book reflects and mirrors the lives of thousands in Syria. But if there's one takeaway, it's that they are so much more than their suffering and trauma. They are strong, resilient, awe-inspiring, and kind. Everything we should strive to be. Lemon Trees follows an 18 year old hijabi called Salama, who was a pharmacy student, but is forced into working at a hospital treating patients because of the war. And 19 year old boy called Kenan, who subverts all expectations and rejects toxic masculinity. Their shared story is one of pain, but also beauty. And Salama's pov is incredibly intense and haunting. There's one quote that really sums everything up, "We don't have to stop living because we might die." This book was just beautiful, I had to try and suppress my tears on the train at 8 am, going to uni 😭 There's one major plot twist (and a couple of other small ones) that broke my heart. I had to stop reading and take a break. My body went fr cold, and I wanted to scream at my wall. It was written so well, and I could not have seen it coming, not in a million years. Also, this is the first bit of fiction I've read where I've absolutely loved and wholeheartedly appreciated the muslim representation. Katouh ticked all the boxes, and I loved her for it. Hijabi representation, fully halal romance, the emphasis on prayer and reading the Quran during hardship. It was truly inspiring, and as a muslim, it reaffirmed my belief and made me want to be better. To sum it up, this book was haunting and visceral, but also heartwarming and fluffy. I couldn't recommend it enough. It's truly eye-opening and forever relevant, especially now more than ever.

This is a beautiful, uplifting book, full of hope - for humanity and for Syria and other countries like her.

‘Every lemon will bring forth a child, and the lemons will never die out’ Nizar Qabbani I think I now know why I delayed reading this for so long, I wasn’t prepared for the heartbreak and sadness. Despite being aimed at younger readers, it provides so much insight into the hardship Syrians have had to endure for the longest time. It’s a work of fiction but based on true events, and the realisation of this makes it very difficult to digest. This is such an important book, a book which should be on every shelf and talked about on every syllabus. How you can read this and not shed a tear, I don’t know. I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone who has not read it yet but there was one chapter that completely broke my heart. I remember thinking, I’m going to read one more chapter before going to bed, but then I replayed that chapter over and over, all night. It played on my mind so much, that I then discussed it in detail with my husband, who had no knowledge of the book whatsoever at this point. He’s never understood why I pick up books that will make me sad, but I see it as gaining knowledge, about becoming aware of the extent of the hardships so we can make a difference. I love books that make me feel, whatever that feel may be, if it’s powerful, it’s a feeling like no other. I loved Salama and Layla, both characters warmed my heart and reminded me of the relationship I have with my sister. I know they were friends before sister in laws but it’s so rare to see this and it made my heart swell! Kenan and Salama, ahh these two! Young, sweet, simple love. I loved it! I won’t say too much more but just read it guys!

Such a good read. Made you feel all the emotions. Didn’t expect the little twists. Very graphic. Was looking for something similar to a “a thousand splendid suns” and this didn’t disappoint

From reading the description on the back of this book I would never of imagined the depths that this author has been able to dive & write the story of Salama in. My heart hurt and I don’t think I have ever been moved to tears before whilst reading “mama, mama please save me”. At times some of the chapters were really hard going, disturbing and very very real. The book needed this. The story of the Syrian revolution deserves to be told in its full truth. I really feel the author achieved this and although it was harrowing at times it was also beautiful. “Can you see the colours salama?” Amazing book that I think everyone should read. It’s not just a romance it’s so much more.

‘As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow, Hope will never die’ I can’t believe this is a YA book, it certainly does not read like that which is based on the Syrian revolution. Salama is just a teenager who is a pharmacist but with the lack of resources is forced on to the frontline in her local hospital doing procedures that should be beyond her skills and knowledge. The sounds and the fear are palpable throughout as places and people are shot or bombed and it is heartbreaking the situation in the hospital with the lack of beds, medical staff, medicine and food/water as well as not knowing when and where the next explosion would occur. The main characters are lovely and you just want to reach in the pages to save them from the atrocities but amongst the devastation there is a deep sense of hope and love for Syria. This is such a heartbreaking and powerful read set in Syria which shows the harsh and brutal reality that innocent citizens face daily. I cried quite a bit reading this. With the appalling situation in Gaza at the moment I think this more than ever is a story that readers should pick up. I will be thinking of this story and the characters for a long time to come and will be a favourite of mine at the end of year favourites.

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow ist ein Buch, das man nicht einfach liest, man fühlt es. Die Geschichte gibt einen erschütternd ehrlichen Einblick in den Krieg in Syrien und zeigt, was er mit jungen Menschen, ihren Träumen und ihrer Hoffnung macht. Die Hauptfigur Salama ist unglaublich stark und gleichzeitig zerbrechlich, was sie sehr real wirken lässt. Besonders berührend ist der innere Konflikt zwischen Überleben, Schuldgefühlen und dem Wunsch nach Freiheit. Der Schreibstil ist poetisch, emotional und bleibt lange im Kopf. Viele Szenen gehen unter die Haut und lassen einen auch nach dem Lesen nicht los. Ein wichtiges Buch, das Empathie schafft und zum Nachdenken anregt. Das Buch hat mich so bewegt, dass ich sogar eine Collage dazu erstellt habe, um meine Gefühle und Gedanken nach dem Lesen auszudrücken. Ein wichtiges, emotionales Buch, das man nicht vergisst.

As Long as the Lemons Grow by Zoulfa Katouh is a deeply emotional and powerful novel that captures the human side of war and survival. Set during the Syrian conflict, the story follows Salama Kassab, a young pharmacy student whose life is completely transformed by the violence around her. As hospitals fill with the wounded and danger becomes a part of everyday life, Salama is forced to grow up quickly and make impossible choices. One of the most striking elements of the book is how it portrays trauma and inner conflict. Salama often imagines a voice in her head named Khawf (fear), representing her anxiety and survival instincts. This unique narrative device allows readers to truly feel her emotional struggles—torn between staying to help others and escaping to safety. The novel also explores themes of love, hope, and resilience. Even in the middle of destruction, moments of connection and kindness shine through. Salama’s relationships, especially with Kenan, add warmth and humanity to an otherwise heartbreaking setting. These emotional layers make the story not just about war, but about what it means to stay human in inhumane conditions. What makes this book a great read is its authenticity and emotional depth. The author, being of Syrian origin, brings a sense of realism that makes the story feel raw and honest. The writing is simple yet powerful, making it accessible while still deeply moving. Overall, As Long as the Lemons Grow is a haunting yet hopeful novel. It reminds readers of the strength of the human spirit and the importance of holding on to hope, even in the darkest times.

The quality of book is so good I like it so much thank you ! Im probably order again 🫶🏻🌷

Da non perdere

Beklijvend verhaal dat zich afspeelt in een setting die zich jammer genoeg de dag van vandaag in veel landen afspeelt. De plaats waar je geboren werd is allesbepalend...zéker wanneer je de pech hebt in een dictatoriaal regime je roots te hebben.