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A review by sarah_cameron
As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I've honestly put off reviewing this book because I just don't know how to do it justice.
This is incredibly written. It feels so lyrical and purposeful, and Katouh does a fantastic job of connecting the reader to all characters, but especially our FMC Salama, which I think really is a central part of the purpose. It can be easy to distance ourselves from difficult and traumatic experiences, but especially ones we are not personally connected to either by experience or relation. This book forces you to look at what is happening, and realise that it is only by lucky circumstance that it is not happening to you. It is an incredibly informative, important piece of writing in the awareness it brings to the Syrian war, and the experiences of those connected to it.
Katouh also deals with PTSD in a highly skilled fashion. It is clear just how much fear permeates Salama's life, how quickly she was forced to grow up, how numb she has become to certain horrors, and yet even with this constant exposure how it's not a life anyone could or should ever become accustomed to living in. The lengths she goes to simply to survive, not just in a physical sense but also to emotionally get through the day-to-day of her life, are hard to comprehend.
Katouh's passion and investment in this story are clear in every word. Nearly impossible to put down, this will have you in tears, and really does encourage critical thought and empathy towards people living in circumstances that are impossible to comprehend from behind our sheltered doors. An absolute must read for everybody.
This is incredibly written. It feels so lyrical and purposeful, and Katouh does a fantastic job of connecting the reader to all characters, but especially our FMC Salama, which I think really is a central part of the purpose. It can be easy to distance ourselves from difficult and traumatic experiences, but especially ones we are not personally connected to either by experience or relation. This book forces you to look at what is happening, and realise that it is only by lucky circumstance that it is not happening to you. It is an incredibly informative, important piece of writing in the awareness it brings to the Syrian war, and the experiences of those connected to it.
Katouh also deals with PTSD in a highly skilled fashion. It is clear just how much fear permeates Salama's life, how quickly she was forced to grow up, how numb she has become to certain horrors, and yet even with this constant exposure how it's not a life anyone could or should ever become accustomed to living in. The lengths she goes to simply to survive, not just in a physical sense but also to emotionally get through the day-to-day of her life, are hard to comprehend.
Katouh's passion and investment in this story are clear in every word. Nearly impossible to put down, this will have you in tears, and really does encourage critical thought and empathy towards people living in circumstances that are impossible to comprehend from behind our sheltered doors. An absolute must read for everybody.