About the Book
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Author:
- Zoulfa Katouh
- Genre:
- Contemporary
Cover Story: Beautifully Misleading
BFF Charm: Let Me Love You
Talky Talk: Real Serious
Bonus Factor: Syrian Education
Relationship Status: Unforgettable
Cover Story: Beautifully Misleading
This cover is absolutely lovely… but, beyond the dead roots and branches on the ground, it doesn’t really indicate its war-torn contents. And you know what, I’m glad! Hopefully more folks might pick it up because the cover is so enticing. (So, well played, publisher!)
The Deal:
Since the military siege began on the Syrian town of Homs, Salama’s life has utterly transformed. She used to be a promising pharmacy student; now she’s a barely-trained nurse at the local hospital where medicine is increasingly in short supply. She used to have a mother, father, and brother; now she mourns the death of her mother in a bombing while praying that her father and brother, both taken by the military, have died rather than remain tortured in prison. She used to dream about getting married and building a life in her town; now she’s focused on keeping her promise to her brother to leave Syria with her sister-in-law, Layla, who is pregnant. But escape routes are rare and expensive, and Salama finds herself torn between leaving to keep Layla safe and staying to continue helping the patients who flood the hospital daily. Then there’s Khawf, who second guesses her every move and haunts her every night—the key word being “haunt,” because Khawf isn’t real. He’s all of Salama’s fears personified, as she puts it: “a defense mechanism my brain has provided, trying to ensure my survival by any means necessary.” As the two battle over her future against a backdrop of violence and unyielding resistance, the lines between right and wrong blur beyond recognition.
BFF Charm: Let Me Love You
I pretty much lost count of how many times my heart broke for Salama. She’s in a nightmare of a situation (to put it lightly), and yet she continues to show up at the hospital every day to try to help as many people as she can with next to no resources or food. She’s not a Katniss or a Celaena, she’s a regular young woman who has been forced by devastating circumstances to reach deep inside herself and find the strength to go on. Do I think she’s tough as nails? Absolutely. Do I think I could ever be as selfless as she is? Definitely not! But to think of her as a badass would be to miss the point. In spite of everything, Salama is still just a girl, one who loves Studio Ghibli movies and obsesses over medicinal herbs and plants, and every time Khawf pops in and tries to take that girl away, I wanted to punch him in the face (and then give Salama a hug).
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
One day at the hospital, Salama treats the younger sister of a handsome, passionate young man named Kenan, who looks vaguely familiar for reasons she can’t place (and which I will not spoil for you). Kenan, at significant risk to himself and his family, records protests in Homs and uploads them to the internet so the world can see what’s happening in Syria. Salama is inspired by his actions and charmed by his artist perspective (he wants to be an animator, cue the Miyazaki convos!), but she also can’t understand why he wants to stay and fight in the face of so much death and destruction. Given the circumstances, the two bond quickly, and as Salama’s (wannabe) bestie, I was so relieved that they found each other, and that Kenan was such a kind yet fierce partner for her. (I should note that both characters are Muslim, so everything, even in Salama’s imagination, is very chaste!)
Talky Talk: Real Serious
Zoulfa Katouh based this book on true events that happened in Syria, so to say that this book gets real is an understatement. With harrowing scenes of snipers, bombings, and the constant deluge of horribly injured people (including children) at the hospital, Katouh didn’t pull any punches with Salama’s story, but she also didn’t ignore humanity’s resilience, our undying search for joy and for love. Yes, there are brutal moments, but there are also beautiful ones, and that balance is vital for a book tackling this serious of a topic. With that said, this is the author’s first novel, and I think it would have benefited from tighter pacing and fewer pages.
I do also want to mention Khawf since he’s such an interesting choice as a device. Initially, I thought he was a demon, and I was like, “Wait, is this a supernatural book?!” so I was glad to discover he’s simply a way for Salama to wrestle with her fears and the impossible decisions that lay ahead of her. (Can’t wait to discuss in our book club this month!)
Bonus Factor: Syrian Education
I’m embarrassed to admit that I really didn’t know anything about the Syrian revolution; I didn’t even know much about the country itself. (Ack, such a typical American, I’m sorry!!) So I am extremely grateful that As Long as the Lemon Trees grow exists so folks like me can have our eyes opened to the situation of the Syrian people and the country’s resistance against the military dictatorship.
Relationship Status: Unforgettable
Book, you’ve left quite a mark on me. While I can’t say I enjoyed every minute of our time together, I am thankful for it, because you took me out of my bubble and showed me something important; you exposed me to an experience I couldn’t fathom and then helped me connect with it as a human being. (And on a lighter note, you’ve made me reeeeally wish I had a lemon tree.)
Literary Matchmaking
For another book featuring Muslim characters (and a charming romance between them), check out Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson.
Sylvia Whitman’s The Milk of Birds offers another inspiring story of survival in a war-torn country.
Looking for another moving exploration of grief? Look no further than Emily X.R. Pan’s The Astonishing Color of After.
FTC Full Disclosure: I checked out this book from the library. I received neither compensation nor cocktails in exchange for this review.
