Take a photo of a barcode or cover
nextonmytbr 's review for:
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
by Zoulfa Katouh
I don't have the right words to describe this story but I will attempt a review that does it justice.
We follow Salama Kassab, previously a pharmacy student, when the revolution begins in Syria. Her studies are cut short and she starts volunteering at a hospital in Homs where there are staff shortages, supply shortages, bomb threats, and innocent civilians suffering and dying. Added to this already harrowing story is a kind of magical realism aspect - that I won't spoil here - that really heightens the story in new ways. I was so torn about the decisions Salama has to face and she makes mistakes that she has to reconcile with while she's also just trying to survive. Katouh's writing is stunning, and heartbreaking, and it just pulls at your heart strings over and over. And somehow this is her debut novel?? I would recommend this book wholeheartedly.
We follow Salama Kassab, previously a pharmacy student, when the revolution begins in Syria. Her studies are cut short and she starts volunteering at a hospital in Homs where there are staff shortages, supply shortages, bomb threats, and innocent civilians suffering and dying. Added to this already harrowing story is a kind of magical realism aspect - that I won't spoil here - that really heightens the story in new ways. I was so torn about the decisions Salama has to face and she makes mistakes that she has to reconcile with while she's also just trying to survive. Katouh's writing is stunning, and heartbreaking, and it just pulls at your heart strings over and over. And somehow this is her debut novel?? I would recommend this book wholeheartedly.