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 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'. Nevertheless, the plot was unexpected, the tone was easy to follow, and the prose was beautifully written.

The characters were very well done—quite likable, even the side characters like Dr. Zaid were nicely portrayed. As long as the lemon trees grow, Salama and Kenan will remain one of my favorite “we’re dying, but at least we’re together” couples.

I do hope that the vision of a 'free' Syria portrayed in the book someday becomes reality, with religious conflict set aside.

Overall, somewhere between a 3.8 and 4-star read.

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