Reviews with content warning for Violence - As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

259 reviews

dafni's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

“Everywhere. Since the beginning of time, I have awoken in people's hearts. I've been given many names in countless languages. In yours, I'm Khawf. In English, Fear. In German, Angst. Humans have listened to my whispers, heeded my counsel, and tasted my power. I'm everywhere.”

I am in awe of the strength it took to write this book, delve into these stories and revisit Syria’s oppressive political regime (alongside the consequences on innocent people). This book was an emotional rollercoaster - it will make you smile and cry; it will make you feel angry, hopeless, afraid, nauseous; it will make you admire people’s resilience and hope; and I truly hope it will make you understand that nobody wants to be a refugee. Nobody wants to leave their country, their home, their community. Nobody wants to be uprooted and separated from their loved ones in foreign and unfamiliar countries, where difference is not welcome or celebrated.

As Warsan Shire wrote in her poem “Home”:

you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land

Through Salama’s storytelling we experience (from afar) the horrific things people go through EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. In Palestine. In Congo. In Sudan. In Syria. In Yemen. In so many other places that have been through civil war in the past. But Zoulfa’s writing reminds us that love, romance and colours during war exist; humanity exists through simple acts, caregiving and sharing with one another, even in the most inhumane circumstances. Zoulfa achieved to see her protagonists with their love and family stories, passions, values, beliefs. People are not numbers, and I hope this book will continue to educate and inspire.

Content Warnings

proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Salama is 18 and always busy at the hospital. Although she hasn't finished her education, the revolution has forced her to do work she's not ready for. She's promised her brother Hamza to take care of his wife Layla, who's also Salama's best friend. Layla and her unborn child is all she has left, but despite the life-threatening situation they’re in, Salama finds it hard to leave those who need her at the hospital. And even if she decides to flee, survival is not guaranteed.

This is a sad and tragic story, but beautifully told. The fact that it shows Syria's own history is almost unfathomable, but also very real when faced with pictures of what's happening in G*za every day. My heart breaks, gets mended - and breaks again.

"We don't have to stop living because we might die. Anyone might die at any given moment, anywhere in the world. We're not an exception. We just see death more regularly than they do."

Alongside all awfulness a love story grows. Maybe because it's a YA novel, but the contrast between love and war makes everything even more clear, and I needed those breathing holes. The author also has a skilled way of showing how PDTS can express itself, and it's a vital part of the story.

I went through all kinds of emotions while reading, and I needed to take a break and read something else in between. Although it's partly hard to read I wish that many do. It will stay in my mind for a long time.

"Everyone is dying. Nothing I do works. My brain hurts. I haven't slept well in over a year. I feel like I'm screaming into an abyss that just swallows everything up. Soon enough it will swallow me too."

Content Warnings