Review: As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh My rating: 4 of 5 stars Beautiful story. Honestly, it felt like a bit of a rollercoaster. It started off really strong, but by the middle I felt it became overly religious (and I’m not hating on the religion at all). Another thing that didn’t sit right with me was how pre-war Syria was portrayed, it felt a bit too idealized and generalized. I’m not Syrian, so I can’t say for sure, but it seemed like the book painted a more uniformly free and open society than what I’ve read or heard elsewhere, and that started to bother me midway through. Around the 70% mark, the book picked up again, and the plot started to unfold in a more engaging way. One moment that really frustrated me was when she woke up after being unconscious all day from an injury, and her main concern was not having a hijab on rather than her physical condition. It gave me vibes similar to 'The Book Thief' mixed with a bit of...
